Ability to Deal with it: Self-Management and Problem-Solving Skills, Motivation and Routines Helped High-School Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, more than 1.5 billion students worldwide started learning remotely, and they faced a range of challenges: a lack of immediate support from teachers, problems with technology, psychological well-being and difficulties in independently coping with their duties. The aim of this study was to understand what helped students cope with distance learning and what hindered and made it difficult for students, as well to examine students’ self-assessed problem-solving and self-management skills. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used in the study with 358 students aged M = 16.65 years. Participants answered two open-ended questions and filled the Problem-Solving Questionnaire and the Metacognitive Awareness Scale. Content analysis of students’ answers shows that most frequently students’ goal-orientation, determination to succeed, diligence and specific routines helped them deal with the distance learning. On the contrary, lack of motivation (among other psychological difficulties), distractions, lack of routines, and felt pressure to manage all school tasks were most frequently the aspects that hindered students from coping with the distance learning. Results show significant correlation between most scales of self-assessed problem solving and self-management skills. Students with higher result in total score of self-reported problem-solving skills felt less stress about the distance learning and the pandemic in general.

Flexibility to Change the Solution: An Indicator of Problem Solving That Predicted 9th Grade Students’ Academic Achievement during Distance Learning, in Parallel to Reasoning Abilities and Parental Education

“…The pandemic period and the distance learning have raised questions globally about which skills, abilities and other factors (e.g., external factors such as support from parents or teachers) are crucial for students to maintain their academic performance and well-being as much as possible during this time ( Rosen et al 2021 ; Hacatrjana 2021a ), and some recent data have indicated a decrease in students’ academic performance that is probably due to the pandemic ( Engzell et al 2021 ). In this study, the focus is particularly on the individual aspects related to the students’ own skills and abilities to deal with the new situation.…”

“…In this study, the focus is particularly on the individual aspects related to the students’ own skills and abilities to deal with the new situation. Students (most studies were performed in primary schools or in high schools) have reported in questionnaires that their ability to plan their time has helped them during distance learning, while also indicating feeling stress regarding the management of assignments on time and having insufficient planning skills, self-organization and management skills, which caused difficulties with remote learning ( Scott et al 2021 ; Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia 2020 ; Rogers et al 2021 ; Hacatrjana 2021a ). This means that during the pandemic and distance learning many students were aware that they lacked some skills to learn effectively.…”

“…In addition, previous PISA results have indicated that the results on problem-solving skills in this country are below the OECD average ( OECD 2017 ). During the pandemic a study with high-school students in Latvia showed that students with higher self-reported problem-solving skills were less stressed about distance learning ( Hacatrjana 2021a ). All these previously obtained results suggest that problem-solving skills and self-management skills are essential for students to adapt to new circumstances and to maintain their academic achievement during distance learning in the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…Assuming that problem-solving skills and self-management skills are important for students during distance learning ( Hacatrjana 2021a ), it is useful to unravel them in more detail in the context of this study. Regarding the research of problem-solving skills, there are several approaches in Psychology that differ based on their theoretical framework and methodology (e.g., Frensch and Funke 1995 ; Heppner and Petersen 1982 ; OECD 2013, and others ).…”

“…A recent study confirms the importance of parental education to grades, but it is concluded that intelligence is a more important predictor than the whole socioeconomic status measurement ( Flores-Mendoza et al 2021 ). It is assumed that problem-solving and self-management skills could play an important role in how well students were able to maintain their academic performance even during distance learning ( Hacatrjana 2021a ). This means that, hypothetically, if a student has good grades and high problem-solving skills, then he or she should also be able to deal well with studying in a new, unprecedented problem situation—distance learning.…”