Data of Students’ Skills and Academic Achievement Assessed During Covid-19 Indicate Risks for Inequality

Abstract

International research reports have indicated inequality risks for students’ future success due to COVID-19 pandemic, including risk of dropping out of school and risk of learning losses. Group differences in students’ skills and opportunities have been revealed way before pandemic, and the pandemic itself can contribute as a facilitating factor for the increase of these differences. In this research 952 students in the 9th grade were assessed during distance learning in Latvia. Data were analysed regarding group differences, as well as students’ decisions about continuing education after the primary school. Results show that: 1) Students who had participated in individual face-to-face consultations showed lower verbal and nonverbal reasoning skills, lower grades in four previous study semesters, and had parents with lower education compared to students who had not participated in individual consultations, indicating the importance for such individual support mechanisms for the students facing difficulties; 2) Students with lower parental education level had lower average grades in four previous semesters, lower verbal reasoning and nonverbal reasoning abilities, self-management and problem-solving skills; 3) Girls had higher average grades in all four consecutive semesters and higher problem-solving and self-management skills, compared to boys; 4) Pandemic affected students’ decisions about continuing studies after the 9th grade mostly for those students who had thought about changing the school or the location of school.