F, The Learning Gap of the Secondary School Students of Bangladesh due to COVID-19 Lockdown
Keywords:
Learning Gap; COVID-19 Education; Students’ Performance; BangladeshAbstract
This study aimed to investigate the learning gap of Grade 6 and Grade 8 students in Bangla and Mathematics during the COVID-19 pandemic in Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh. Despite continuous government support and various initiatives by teachers and schools to continue education remotely, the 59-week closure of educational institutions had a substantial negative impact on students’ learning. The major objectives of this study were to evaluate the extent of the learning gap, identify its causes, and suggest solutions to the problems encountered by students.
Purposive sampling was used to select 10 secondary schools, while simple random sampling was used to select 357 student respondents—180 from Grade 6 and 177 from Grade 8—for performance testing. Key informant interviews were conducted with 10 headteachers from the selected schools.
The findings revealed a substantial learning gap in Mathematics between students in the two grades, while students performed significantly better in Bangla. Most students’ performance was at Band 2 or below in Mathematics, and a large proportion performed at Band 3 or below in Bangla. Students also performed below the levels reported in the LASI 2015 assessment in both subjects. Gender disparities were observed, with girls outperforming boys in both subjects, particularly in Grade 6.
Factors affecting students’ achievement included limited access to technology and digital resources, lack of access to teachers, difficult economic conditions, poor mental and emotional well-being, and disruptions to daily routines and structures. The study highlights the urgent need for policymakers to address the learning gap through targeted learning support, teacher training, and improved access to digital learning resources.
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