No evidence that COVID-19 learning deficits differ between primary and secondary students¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r3 · q3
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2028: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q3 i? The mean difference in deficits between primary and secondary students is δ = −0.01 and not statistically significant (P = 0.556); the authors state they cannot be certain deficits differ between levels. → Bastian A. Betthäuser 2023

Evidence¶

Bastian A. Betthäuser 2023¶

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. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01506-4

q3 · i? · quant-synthesis · r3

Bivariate comparison by level of education (Fig. 6b; medians primary −0.12, secondary −0.12) using common-effects models with study-clustered standard errors. The null difference is underpowered, as the authors explicitly note; equivalence was not tested.

"Our analysis yields no evidence of variation in learning deficits across grade levels (mean difference δ = −0.01, t(41) = −0.59, two-tailed P = 0.556, 95% CI −0.06 to 0.03). Due to the limited number of available estimates of learning deficits, we cannot be certain about whether learning deficits differ between primary and secondary students or not."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• School-aged children experienced a substantial overall learning deficit during the COVID-19 pandemic (pooled d = −0.14), equivalent to about 35% of a school year's learning — a broader claim this one bears on
• Socio-economic inequality in learning increased during the pandemic for most estimates, across subjects, grades and pandemic stages — related
• Learning deficits during the pandemic are larger in maths than in reading — related
• Learning deficits are appreciably larger in middle-income countries than in high-income countries, with no evidence available from low-income countries — related
• Year 3 and Year 4 student achievement growth in mathematics and reading showed no significant differences between 2019 and 2020 cohorts in NSW primary schools — related
• Estimated Covid-19 learning deficits are more pronounced in studies using experimental/quasi-experimental designs than in descriptive or correlational studies — related
• Pandemic-related learning delays did not statistically differ across primary, secondary and tertiary education levels — related
• No significant mean differences in perspectives between primary and secondary school staff — related