IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ipt/iptwpa/jrc134506.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The impact of Covid-19 physical school closure on student performance in OECD countries: a meta-analysis

Author

Abstract

In this report, we conduct a new meta-analysis of papers examining the impact of Covid-19 school related closure on student performance. While we focus only on OECD countries, the present meta-analysis includes, to the best of our knowledge, a larger number of studies (i.e., 55), effect sizes (i.e., 400) and countries (i.e., 21) than previous similar studies. Our results confirm that Covid-19 had, on average, an adverse effect on learning. While the size of the overall learning loss is estimated to be between 0.11 and 0.17 standard deviations of student achievement, learning losses are found to be smaller for pupils in OECD EU countries than for their peers in OECD non-EU countries. The periods of physical school closure were shorter in OECD EU countries than in OECD non-EU countries and this may provide a possible explanation for our finding. Additionally, our study shows that, overall, students seem to have fallen behind in their learning more in the later stages of the pandemic compared with the earlier stages. This finding is at variance with the outcome of earlier meta-analyses concluding that students did not lose any additional ground but failed to rebound. Our result is driven by the inclusion of recent studies showing that pandemic-related learning deficits have accelerated over time. Consequently, our findings suggest that particular attention should continue to be paid towards ensuring that students are able to catch up on what they have missed while schools have been closed.

Suggested Citation

  • DI PIETRO Giorgio, 2023. "The impact of Covid-19 physical school closure on student performance in OECD countries: a meta-analysis," JRC Research Reports JRC134506, Joint Research Centre.
  • Handle: RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc134506
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC134506
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dalit Contini & Maria Laura Di Tommaso & Caterina Muratori & Daniela Piazzalunga & Lucia Schiavon, 2021. "The Covid-19 pandemic and school closure: learning loss in mathematics in primary education," DEM Working Papers 2021/16, Department of Economics and Management.
    2. Xiaoying Feng & Neacsu Ioan & Yan Li, 2021. "Comparison of the effect of online teaching during COVID-19 and pre-pandemic traditional teaching in compulsory education," The Journal of Educational Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 114(4), pages 307-316, August.
    3. Bruce Sacerdote, 2012. "When the Saints Go Marching Out: Long-Term Outcomes for Student Evacuees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 4(1), pages 109-135, January.
    4. Kawin Thamtanajit, 2020. "The Impacts Of Natural Disaster On Student Achievement: Evidence From Severe Floods in Thailand," Journal of Developing Areas, Tennessee State University, College of Business, vol. 54(4), pages 129-143, October-D.
    5. Kaiser, Tim & Menkhoff, Lukas, 2020. "Financial education in schools: A meta-analysis of experimental studies," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    6. Eric A. Hanushek & Ludger Woessmann, 2020. "The economic impacts of learning losses," OECD Education Working Papers 225, OECD Publishing.
    7. Agostinelli, Francesco & Doepke, Matthias & Sorrenti, Giuseppe & Zilibotti, Fabrizio, 2022. "When the great equalizer shuts down: Schools, peers, and parents in pandemic times," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    8. Giorgio Di Pietro & Federico Biagi & Patricia Costa & Zbigniew Karpinski & Jacopo Mazza, 2020. "The likely impact of COVID-19 on education: Reflections based on the existing literature and recent international datasets," JRC Research Reports JRC121071, Joint Research Centre.
    9. Tomas Havranek & Zuzana Irsova, 2017. "Do Borders Really Slash Trade? A Meta-Analysis," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 65(2), pages 365-396, June.
    10. De Paola, Maria & Gioia, Francesca & Scoppa, Vincenzo, 2022. "Online Teaching, Procrastination and Students’ Achievement: Evidence from COVID-19 Induced Remote Learning," IZA Discussion Papers 15031, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Michael S. Kofoed & Lucas Gebhart & Dallas Gilmore & Ryan Moschitto, 2024. "Zooming to Class? Experimental Evidence on College Students' Online Learning during COVID-19," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 6(3), pages 324-340, September.
    12. Hevia, Felipe J. & Vergara-Lope, Samana & Velásquez-Durán, Anabel & Calderón, David, 2022. "Estimation of the fundamental learning loss and learning poverty related to COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    13. Bastian A. Betthäuser & Anders M. Bach-Mortensen & Per Engzell, 2023. "A systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on learning during the COVID-19 pandemic," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 7(3), pages 375-385, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gillitzer, Christian & Prasad, Nalini, 2024. "The effect of school closures on standardized test scores: Evidence under zero-COVID policies," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shinsuke Asakawa & Fumio Ohtake, 2021. "Impact of Temporary School Closure Due to COVID-19 on the Academic Achievement of Elementary School Students," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 21-14, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    2. Gambi, Letizia & De Witte, Kristof, 2024. "The resilience in test scores and the mitigating effect of summer schools one year after the COVID-19 school closures," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    3. Alan, Sule & Turkum, Betul, 2024. "Abstract reasoning, theory of mind and character development in the school," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 221(C), pages 307-326.
    4. Kuzmanic, Danilo & Valenzuela, Juan Pablo & Claro, Susana & Canales, Andrea & Cerda, Daniela & Undurraga, Eduardo A., 2023. "Socioeconomic disparities in the reopening of schools during the pandemic in Chile," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    5. Monroy-Gómez-Franco, Luis & Vélez-Grajales, Roberto & López-Calva, Luis F., 2022. "The potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on learnings," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    6. Alderighi, Lorenzo & Ballatore, Rosario M. & Tonello, Marco, 2023. "Hidden drop-out: Secondary education (unseen) failure in pandemic times," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1293, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    7. Kamila Cygan-Rehm, 2022. "Lifetime Consequences of Lost Instructional Time in the Classroom: Evidence from Shortened School Years," CESifo Working Paper Series 9892, CESifo.
    8. Alejo, Anna & Jenkins, Robert & Reuge, Nicolas & Yao, Haogen, 2023. "Understanding and addressing the post-pandemic learning disparities," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    9. Ragni, Alessandra & Ippolito, Daniel & Masci, Chiara, 2024. "Assessing the impact of hybrid teaching on students’ academic performance via multilevel propensity score-based techniques," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    10. David R. Agrawal & Aline Bütikofer, 2022. "Public finance in the era of the COVID-19 crisis," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 29(6), pages 1349-1372, December.
    11. Ligia Alba Melo-Becerra & Jorge Enrique Ramos-Forero & Jorge Leonardo Rodríguez Arenas & Héctor M. Zárate-Solano, 2021. "Efecto de la pandemia sobre el sistema educativo: El caso de Colombia," Borradores de Economia 1179, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    12. Dorn, Florian & Lange, Berit & Braml, Martin & Gstrein, David & Nyirenda, John L.Z. & Vanella, Patrizio & Winter, Joachim & Fuest, Clemens & Krause, Gérard, 2023. "The challenge of estimating the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19 interventions – Toward an integrated economic and epidemiological approach," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    13. João Pedro & Amer Hasan & Diana Goldemberg & Koen Geven & Syedah Aroob Iqbal, 2021. "Simulating the Potential Impacts of COVID-19 School Closures on Schooling and Learning Outcomes: A Set of Global Estimates [Tackling Inequity in Education during and after COVID-19]," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 36(1), pages 1-40.
    14. Bratti, Massimiliano & Lippo, Enrico, 2022. "COVID-19 and the Gender Gap in University Student Performance," IZA Discussion Papers 15456, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Dan Goldhaber & Scott A. Imberman & Katharine O. Strunk & Bryant G. Hopkins & Nate Brown & Erica Harbatkin & Tara Kilbride, 2022. "To What Extent Does In‐Person Schooling Contribute To The Spread Of Covid‐19? Evidence From Michigan And Washington," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(1), pages 318-349, January.
    16. Anja Žnidaršič & Alenka Brezavšček & Gregor Rus & Janja Jerebic, 2022. "Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Mathematics Achievement? A Case Study of University Students in Social Sciences," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(13), pages 1-23, July.
    17. Rodríguez-Planas, Núria, 2022. "Hitting where it hurts most: COVID-19 and low-income urban college students," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    18. Joe Piacentini & Harley Frazis & Peter B. Meyer & Michael Schultz & Leo Sveikauskas, 2022. "The Impact of COVID-19 on Labor Markets and Inequality," Economic Working Papers 551, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    19. Valenzuela, Juan Pablo & Kuzmanic, Danilo & Cortés, Fernanda, 2024. "Socioeconomic inequalities in opportunities and participation in in-person learning during the Covid-19 pandemic," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    20. Hardt, David & Nagler, Markus & Rincke, Johannes, 2022. "Can peer mentoring improve online teaching effectiveness? An RCT during the COVID-19 pandemic," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc134506. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Publication Officer (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ipjrces.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.