High School Students’ Learning During the COVID Pandemic: Perspectives from Health Sciences and Technology Academy Participants

Abstract

This paper examines the perspectives of Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA) participants as they navigate through their West Virginia (WV) high school learning environments (i.e., in-person, blended/hybrid, complete virtual) during the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. In March of 2020, the participants in this out-of-school-time (OST) academic enrichment program for exceptionally driven, yet underprivileged, at-risk students, with over 70% living in rural areas, started receiving remote learning instruction through learning management systems or via paper packets. In August of 2020, school systems provided parents and caregivers alternative learning environments for their student(s). In order to understand the learning experiences of HSTA students during these unprecedented times, HSTA released the 2020 Learning Outcomes Survey to participants in December of 2020. We performed chi-square test of independence to test the relationship between participants' learning environments, their satisfaction with the education they were receiving, their ability to keep up with their school-work, teacher availability to help when needed and teacher feedback supporting them in their learning environment. The results show significant differences between the learning environments and keeping up with school-work as well as teacher feedback supporting them in their learning; however, Phi and Cramer's V tests for effect size show weak correlations. This study provides a small glimpse into HSTA students' learning experiences as they attempted to continue to learn in their regular school environment during the COVID-19 pandemic while in HSTA.

A systematic review of social classroom climate in online and technology-enhanced learning environments in primary and secondary school

“…Lastly, teachers reported that they care about students academically in distance classes, and care more about students emotionally in face-to-face classes, i.e., distance learning focuses on academic issues and not emotional bonds. Lastly, comparing in-person learning, virtual learning, and blended/hybrid learning in an educational program for disadvantaged (exceptionally driven) students, McKendall et al (2021) found significant differences perceived availability of help, feedback, and support from teachers. However, the small effect sizes led the authors to conclude that there is only negligible practical significance.…”

Estrategia metodológica sustentada en el diseño universal del aprendizaje, para el desarrollo de habilidades comunicacionales y socioemocionales en la asignatura Matemática del 6to año de EGB

“…Se emplearon métodos estadísticos descriptivos de evaluación de consistencia interna de los instrumentos aplicados, mediante el software estadístico SPSS (para ambos instrumentos se obtuvieron coeficientes Alpha de Cronbach superiores a 0,78). Con el objetivo de identificar el efecto de la implementación de los principios DUA, se realizaron mediciones pre y postest de la percepción de los estudiantes respecto a sus habilidades C y S-E., y ambos resultados se analizaron mediante los coeficientes Phi y V de Cramer para mostrar la fuerza de la correlación entre las variables categóricas (habilidades medidasaplicación de la estrategia), de 0-ninguna a 1.0-perfecta (McKendall et al, 2021).…”

Student’s perspectives about their learning profile before and after Covid-19

“…The transition to online environments had different impacts on students. Those more in-needed of school, more at-risk, with less means of access (McKendall et al, 2021) as well as those more dependent on teachers, more passive learners, less autonomous, without self-study and self-regulation skills (Tomasik, Helbling, & Moser, 2020;Yang, 2020) suffered more seriously. Then, students' profile and characteristics like ability to change and adapt became a key resource for students to be succeed and go through all the difficulties they faced throughout those learning environments (Martin, Collie, & Nagy, 2021).…”

“…Then, students' profile and characteristics like ability to change and adapt became a key resource for students to be succeed and go through all the difficulties they faced throughout those learning environments (Martin, Collie, & Nagy, 2021). The extent of students' learning losses is still unknown and will most likely have a long-term effect on students' profile and life (Andrew et al, 2020;McKendall et al, 2021;Tomasik et al, 2020).…”