Pandemic Impacts Academic Achievement of Weaker Students: Study

This photo, taken April 9, 2020, shows a high school student taking online classes at her home in Goyang, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — The level of achievement in the field of mathematics among high school students dropped due to the pandemic, as schools struggled to provide offline classes, particularly among students with lower academic performance, a study showed Sunday.

A research team from Korea University analyzed the national survey of academic achievement, which showed that the average level of high school performance in the field of mathematics dropped from 148.42 points in 2019 to 146.68 points in 2020.

Among the weakest 10 percent of students, the level of performance dropped by a whopping 9 points, from 122 points in 2019 to 113 points in 2020.

The level of performance in mathematics among the top 10 percent of students was more or less constant from 2019 (171 points) to 2020 (172 points).

The top 50 percent of students, too, maintained their level of performance from 150 points in 2019 to 149 points in 2020.

Compared to 2019, the overall usage of electronic devices to access social media platforms and games increased in 2020, a factor that most likely affected academic achievement.

Statistical analysis showed that lower academic achievers experienced more significant decreases in their level of academic performance after the pandemic.

“The pandemic paralyzed the school system, which had been working as a buffer zone for lower academic achievers, resulting in a serious educational vacuum among low academic achievers,” the research team said.

H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)