The impact of COVID-19 on children’s learning: a rapid review

ABSTRACT

Objective

While it is widely acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has created disruptions in children’s learning trajectories, the literature suggests that there is little empirical research to support this claim.

Method

This rapid review of the literature was carried out to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s learning, whether there has been a loss in learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and if so, what recommendations can be made to mitigate these losses, now and in the future.

Results

The studies reviewed imply that the significant disruption in children’s education as a result of school closure during the COVID-19 pandemic has been problematic and has resulted in learning losses.

Conclusions

It is recommended that education systems worldwide should train teachers for online learning in order to maximise learning and minimise inequalities. The paper concludes with implications for policymakers, researchers and educators.

KEY POINTS

What is already known about this topic:

1. Learning is associated with better life outcomes.

2. Home and school environments provide children with a variety of learning opportunities.

3. The COVID-19 pandemic brought major disruptions to children’s learning, especially when schools closed and learning moved online.

What this paper adds:

1. Our understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s learning is increased.

2. During the pandemic, different contexts provided children with different learning opportunities.

3. Parents were unprepared for home education when schools closed.

4. Intergenerational learning, between children and grandparents, during the pandemic proved to enhance lifelong learning opportunities and build closer relationships.

5. Vulnerable children experienced more learning losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• learning
• children
• primary school
• achievement
• education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analysed in this study.