Examination of Variables Affecting the Perceptions of Academic Performance of Higher Education Students during the Distance Education Process

COVID-19 has had serious consequences in all areas of social life, including education. In this period, distance education appeared as an inevitable solution. Even today, when the pandemic process is over and re-normalization has begun, online teaching environments have become such an indispensable part of education systems that it has been decided that a certain proportion of the courses will be conducted online in universities. For this reason, determining student experiences in online courses is important in planning the future of distance education. Since academic performance is the output of the teaching process, students' academic performance is one of the topics of interest in higher education research. There may be different factors affecting the academic performance of students in the distance education process, which imposes more responsibility on students and requires self-control. This study aimed to examine the relationship of academic performance in the distance education with home infrastructure, student interaction, computer skills, academic satisfaction. This research is based on a large-scale study, "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of higher education students", examining the pandemic's impact on higher education student perceptions in 2020. It has been observed that home infrastructure has a significant impact on the student's academic performance. The infrastructure increases the interaction of the student. When home infrastructure is taken as a control variable, students' computer skills are the highest predictor of their perception of academic performance, followed by their online interactions and, finally, perceived satisfaction. Today, pandemic conditions are still ongoing. In addition, even as the pandemic ends, online education has become an indispensable part of our education system. Therefore, the findings of the research would be beneficial for the ongoing planning process.

Academic Stress in Online Higher Education

With the unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, higher education institutions have faced a number of challenges, one of which is the transition to online education. University students have experienced varying levels of stress as the largest group affected by this transition. The perceived level of academic stress experienced by university students in this new system has become significant for the improvement in online learning at the tertiary level. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the level of academic stress among university students including the components of pressures to perform, perceptions of workload, academic self-perceptions, and time restraints during online learning. In order to measure the level of academic stress among university students, a quantitative research design was adopted through gathering statistical data from 147 undergraduate students studying online in different departments in Turkey utilizing "The Perception of Academic Stress Scale" including the components of pressures to perform, perceptions of workload, academic self-perceptions, and time restraints during online learning. The results of this quantitatively designed study revealed that the perceived level of academic stress among university students was found as neutral in general;regarding the components of "Pressures to Perform" as high, of "Perceptions of Workload", "Academic Self-Perceptions" and "Time Restraints" as neutral. Some statistically significant differences were also detected in the perceived level of academic stress in relation to the variables of gender, age (Gen X vs Gen Y), year of study, satisfaction with the learning and home environments.

Parental marital conflict, negative emotions, phubbing, and academic burnout among college students in the postpandemic era: A multiple mediating models

Given the serious effects of coronavirus disease 2019 on academic burnout, this study aims to examine the multiple mediating roles of negative emotions and phubbing in the relationship between parental marital conflict and academic burnout. A total of 1353 college students participated in this study. The results showed that parental marital conflict not only had a direct effect on academic burnout but also affected academic burnout through three indirect paths: parental marital conflict‐negative emotions‐academic burnout, parental marital conflict‐phubbing‐academic burnout, and parental marital conflict‐negative emotions‐phubbing‐academic burnout. The parental marital conflict increased the risk of negative emotions and phubbing in college students and had a subsequent impact on academic burnout. Implications for prevention and intervention are discussed. Highlights: Parental marital conflict significantly predicted academic burnout in college students.Parental marital conflict affected academic burnout through the indirect effect of negative emotions and phubbing.Negative emotions and phubbing played chain‐mediating roles in the relations between parental marital conflict and academic burnout. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Psychology in the Schools is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Parent Perspectives on Young Children's Changing Digital Practices: Insights from COVID-19

Young children's use of digital technologies has presented challenges for parents, particularly in response to an increased reliance on digital resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. This mixed-methods study explored young children's digital practices within the context of their families and homes. Although this study was originally planned, the timing of data collection meant that it was uniquely positioned to capture parent perspectives as the pandemic and first lockdown was unfolding in Australia. Data was collected through questionnaire (N = 101) and semistructured interview (n = 20) about status and change in children's digital practices, and parents' rules and flexibility in governing these experiences. Quantitative findings suggested children's frequency and duration of digital device use trended upwards during lockdown, and parents were more flexible in their rules about the amount of screen time, as well as when and where children could use digital devices. Qualitative results suggested that, more than a temporary and situational change, for many parents, exposure to new ways of engaging with digital technologies facilitated a shift in their perceptions, leading to greater consideration of quality in their choices for their children. This study highlights the influential role of parents in shaping children's digital experiences. Understanding their perceptions, as well as children's current and shifting digital practices in the home, is important for informing efforts and guidance for supporting young children's safe and effective use of digital technologies.

The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on abortion access and pre-abortion mental health in Shanghai.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the barriers to abortion in Shanghai during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to compare pre-abortion mental health status before and during the crisis. METHODS: In this case-control study, two groups of women seeking abortion (age ≥18 years, pregnancy duration <98 days) were recruited from March to September, 2021 (n = 1070) and from February to April 2022 (n = 625). The evaluation included COVID-19-related abortion stress questions, the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Family Environment Scale Chinese version. The researchers conducted interviews and collected questionnaires. RESULTS: The median pregnancy duration at abortion among women during the pandemic was 65 days, compared with 51 days in the pre-pandemic group (P < 0.001). Anxiety and depression symptoms increased during the crisis (P < 0.001). Sleep disturbances were more common. Higher PSQI scores were related to increased anxiety and depression symptoms. A more negative family climate was described during the pandemic. CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, abortion access was delayed and pre-abortion mental disorders increased. More attention should be paid to the mental health of women seeking abortions, and innovations should be promoted to ensure abortion services without delay.

The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children/adolescents with ASD and their family environment: a systematic review.

The main objective of the review is to analyze the impact of the pandemic in children/teenagers with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and in their family environment. An electronic search was carried out in different databases (PsycInfo, Web of Science and Scopus) in order to find publications associated with the aim of this project. The search terms used were derived from the combination of the following search string: "((Pandemic OR Epidemic OR Outbreak OR COVID-19 OR Coronavirus) AND (Children OR Adolescents OR Youth OR Child OR Teenager) AND (Autism OR ASD OR Autism Spectrum Disorder))''. In total, 21 articles were included in this review. The findings of the different investigations included in this review show that the pandemic has produced a negative psychological impact in children/teenagers with ASD. Therefore, long-term follow-up studies should be carried out with the objective of creating effective interventions to treat this problematical.

The Pandemic Period and the Parent-Child Relationship

The aim of this study is to investigate parents' relationships with their children during the pandemic period. The study is a qualitative research study and was conducted with a case study design. The study group of this research consisted of 19 parents. The study group was selected using the criterion sampling method of purposive sampling. The criteria specified in this research were that parents should have a child attending preschool and at least a secondary school level of education. The research data were gathered during the 2019-2020 academic year via interviews conducted with parents having at least one child who was still receiving preschool education, using a semi-structured interview form. The study variables were age, occupation, education level, number of children, and cohabitation status of the parents. The data obtained from the interviews were analysed using the content analysis method. Accordingly, the researcher aimed to assess, through content analysis, the reasons for directly unobservable or non-quantifiable behaviours of the parents by conducting interviews. The research findings revealed that the positive aspects of the parent-child relationship during the pandemic were stated to be spending time together, sharing, doing activities, and communication, while the negative aspects were reported as social isolation, domestic conflicts, and mobile phone addiction. Changes in the mother-child relationship during the pandemic were revealed to be related to knowing each other, spending time together, conflicts, and obeying rules, while in terms of the father-child relationship, changes were seen in communication, doing activities and sense of responsibility. While participants evaluated domestic relationships positively with regard to being together, being supportive and positive communication, they regarded them negatively in terms of conflicts, communication problems and boredom. Lastly, participants stated that educational activities, playing games, watching educational videos and preparing food were the activities on which the most time was spent.

Child Resilience in a Global Pandemic

Psychologists caution that the COVID-19 pandemic may exacerbate already existing mental health challenges -- warning that we may see more depression and anxiety in children due to fears about their health and that of their families, exposure to negative messages from the media, social isolation, and family financial issues due to economic recession. In light of the challenges, this article seeks to answer the following question: How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted young children within social resilience frameworks, and what developmentally appropriate strategies can educators undertake to support the whole child as school systems continue to adapt?

Play and Trauma in Young Children during a Pandemic

Vygotsky (1978) describes play as having three main components, one being the ability for a child to create an imaginary situation, the second taking on and acting out roles, and the third, following a set of rules that were determined by the roles children took on during play during social or group settings. Hence, supporting much needed social skills and processes that foster a positive social development. The ambiguities of play, specifically the intricate functions between what play entails and the aligned developmental outcomes of play, makes defining play challenging. Research has revealed that children who are in isolated environments, with reduced physical contact among peers of their own age, tend to have lower levels of academic achievements, and are more susceptible to long term psychological stress as they get older (Ammermueller, 2012, Lacey, Kumari & Bartley, 2014). Specifically, the trauma of isolation affects both the social and cognitive domains of development among preschoolers. Isolation, also takes a toll on the type of play children can engage in. The lack of play during a pandemic can prevent children from feeling a sense of joy and familiarity. This article describes how play is not just a mechanism for supporting academic achievement in young children, but also a form of supporting emotional survival during a crisis.

Girls' and Boys' Voices on the Gendered Experience of Learning during COVID-19 in Countries Affected by Displacement

This paper presents research on girls' and boys' gendered perceptions of their learning during school closures due to COVID-19. The research was conducted in ten countries affected by displacement across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. We applied statistical analysis using multivariate logistic regression models from the results of a survey conducted with parents or caregivers and their children. We complemented the quantitative study with qualitative methodology, which provided a nuanced understanding of girls' and boys' perceptions of their learning and their voiced concerns during the COVID-19-related school closures. Our results show that the children in the displaced settings are likely to perceive a decline in learning during the pandemic, and that the factors influencing this perception differ between boys and girls. Girls' perceptions of learning "nothing" or only "a little bit" were more strongly associated with material barriers, such as limited access to learning materials and household economic circumstances, than was the case for boys. The boys' experience of learning "a little bit" or "nothing" was more strongly associated with increased negative feelings, including feeling sad or worried, increased violence in the home, and increased responsibility for looking after siblings or other children. This research notes the importance of supporting displaced children by providing adequate resources to enable equitable access to learning, and calls for cross-sectoral programming to support displaced children who are dealing with emotional pressure.

Using "Positioning" Theory to Analyze a Female School Teacher's Experiences with Care Work during COVID-19 in India: Towards Decolonizing Feminist Research

The past few decades have been marked by growing awareness about the need to move beyond Anglocentric/Eurocentric epistemes, to instead engage in intellectual projects that effectively (re)present the voices and consciousness of marginalized populations (Manion & Shah, 2019). The term decolonizing research methodologies has thus come to acquire a central place within feminist research in the field of Comparative and International Education (CIE), with rallying calls to foreground the complexities and uniqueness of the lived realities of women through non-hierarchical and non-dichotomous modes of meaning-making (Lugones, 2010). However, methodological literature on decolonizing feminist research is largely linked to the data collection phase, with limited engagement with how to effectively analyze data once it is collected. This study demonstrates the use of positioning theory, a form of discourse analysis, as a decolonial analytical framework to investigate the micro details of a female school teacher's experiences with care work during COVID-19 in India. The analysis revealed the shifting, often contextual nature of the identities that the participant claimed for herself throughout the narrative, such as a pampered daughter, critical observer, adjusting daughter-in-law, guilty mother, and strategic choice maker. The study ends by making a case for the potential use of positioning theory towards decolonizing feminist research because of its ability to draw attention to the multiple and/or contradictory identities that participants claim for themselves throughout the discursive interaction.

Impact of Home Literacy Environment on Literacy Development of Children with Intellectual Disabilities: A Moderated Mediation Model

Research on the effects of the home literacy environment (HLE) on the literacy development of children with intellectual disabilities (ID) is limited, and relevant results are inconsistent. This study aimed to explore the influence of the HLE on the literacy development of children with ID, and the role of the reading interest and parent-child relationship in this process. The subjects of this study were 381 children with ID from special needs schools in 7 regions of China, including 234 boys and 147 girls aged 6-15 years. This study adopted the network survey method, and parents of these children completed the surveys of the HLE, literacy development, reading interest, and parent-child relationship. The results revealed that the HLE significantly influenced the literacy development of children with ID, and the reading interest partially mediated this effect. In this mediating process, the regression relationship between the HLE and the reading interest was positively regulated by the parent-child relationship. This study suggests that improving the HLE and parent-child relationship is beneficial for the reading interest and literacy development of children with ID.

Building on Students' Perspectives on Moving to Online Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This paper provides insights from students and the author's experiences of the move to online course delivery in the current pandemic. Key issues students identified as impacting success include: student stress/distress related to the pandemic, challenges with Wi-Fi and connectivity, students' and instructors' technical skills, and issues related to course design and delivery method (synchronous or asynchronous). Students' insights, the instructor's experiences, and the academic literature on online education are used to provide suggestions for addressing these challenges. This analysis began as an exercise to inform my course planning but led to a recognition that (a) a successful transition requires action by students, instructors, and institutions and (b) that these actions are constrained making successful transitions both demanding and difficult.

Dove sta di casa la scuola?

This work presents 'Dove sta di casa la scuola', an online course for teachers promoted by the Small School Movement during the COVID-19 emergency. The course aimed to provide alternatives to lecture-based distance learning using the domestic environment as a context for 'low-intensity' digital learning. Such an experience, involving 7000 Italian teachers, allowed the school system to intervene on those pupils at risk of exclusion from distance learning for reasons related to digital divide conditions. Moreover, it was an opportunity to propose alternatives to a distance model focused solely on the provision of content and video lessons. The training experience has fostered the creation of spaces for the active construction of practices that have crossed multiple and heterogeneous disciplines, ranging from math to philosophy.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children's Socio-Emotional Wellbeing and Attainment during the Reception Year. Research Report

This study aimed to understand the relationship between reception children's experiences of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and their academic achievement and socio-emotional development during their first year at school in September 2020 to July 2021. This was an exploratory study combining parent and school surveys with children's assessments. All children in the study were in reception (YR) and therefore four to five years old. This cohort of children were three to four years old during the first lockdown (March to June 2020) with the second and third lockdowns (November 2020 and January to March 2021) taking place during their reception year. The study involved a total of 94 schools, 1,105 families, and Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) data for a total of 3,253 children. Recruitment took place in two phases, participation in surveys took place at three timepoints, and schools could opt to take part in all aspects of the project or provide only EYFSP data. Therefore, not all parents and schools contributed data at all points. Parent and school surveys were distributed in the autumn, spring, and summer terms 2020/2021. This included bespoke questions as well as items from the Home Learning Environment (HLE) index and Personal Wellbeing Scale. Data was coded in Excel and analysed using thematic analysis to draw out the main themes in the data. School and parent/carer surveys were used to contextualise and explain child assessment data collected at the end of YR. To measure children's language, numeracy, and socio-emotional development, the appropriate subscales from tablet-based assessment Early Years Toolbox (EYT) were used. Teacher-reported attainment data in the form of the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) was also collected in the summer term 2021. For the EYFSP data, comparisons were made between the scores of pupils in the study sample and the EYFSP scores of the 2018/2019 national cohort of reception pupils to explore any differences in outcomes.

Think outside the Trash: Transforming Recyclables into Physical Activity Equipment

Since most Americans have spent the majority of their time at home during the pandemic, and those who are parents have spent 18% of the time with their children, it would be wise to spend the time as a family in meaningful projects and activities that reduce sedentary behaviors and advocate the importance of recycling education. This article provides readers with eight projects on transforming recyclables into useful equipment.

Home Literacy Initiatives of Middle School Families during the 2020 Quarantine Period: Transformation in Education?

The coronavirus pandemic changed everything almost overnight for students and their families. The purpose of this qualitative case study, thus, was to investigate the views of families about the student change in education for their middle school children, particularly literacy practices, during the pandemic. Drawing on Bourdieu's (1984) theoretical framework of cultural capital, coupled with economic status, funds of knowledge, and crisis management, we conducted interviews with four parents. Using the in vivo coding data analysis method, we identified some key preliminary findings: all-day happy hour, the strange disconnection between teachers and parents, and soft and hard approaches to school-home literacy. Participants revealed very distinctive dispositions to make this "school-home" education work on their own. These parental dispositions and new meaning-making from their children's education developed into what we referred to as "parentagogy," as they determined for themselves the skills they would need to use to help their children succeed in their new roles as parent and educators. This study confirms the importance of parental value in education.

School Closures: Facing Challenges of Learning Loss in India

Background: Learning losses does not mean forgetting only curricular learning but slipping back of fundamental learning abilities that learner would have acquired during schooling. School closures in India have severely disrupted learning processes of children resulting in learning losses and social gaps in academic outcomes. Though school closure is a global phenomenon, its adverse effects on learning outcomes are unevenly distributed in the society. Purpose: The paper aims to trace the phenomenon of learning losses resulting from a prolonged school closures during COVID 19 pandemic at the national level since march 2020.The study further is directed to trace accessibilities and uses of digital resources in India. Method: The study used secondary sources of data mainly of Bihar to ascertain the trend of learning losses. The data were regenerated to measure the emerging trend. Results: Learning loss was unevenly distributed in the society. Those who were digitally equipped had compensated their learning losses during school closures. The Bihar had mere 5 per cent computer and 15 internet facilities. The rural households had only 3 per cent computer and 13 per cent internet facilities. Primary grade children especially of disadvantaged groups in Bihar suffered more because they have very limited home learning resources. Learning crisis was more prominent at elementary school level where both the home resources and digital tools were inadequate. They spent hours in surfing social media for private purposes. The phenomenon of cyber loafing was widely seen among young students, showing a serious problem of internet abuse by secondary school students. Conclusion: Despite constraints Bihar managed to continue school learning programme during COVID 19. It had a largest force of digitally-equipped teachers (about 1.25 lakh) known as Potential Learning Community (PLC) who were ready to deliver e-contents to beneficiaries. Teachers established connectivity with parents and learners who had no android mobile. They started running Schools on Mobile (SOM) classes. The paper discusses learning recovery plan such as engaging community, reallocating resources for schools, etc.

Learning Anatomy & Physiology Virtually: Student Performance during COVID-19

Delivering Anatomy & Physiology (A&P) labs online became necessary in the spring of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For four semesters (Summer 2020 through Summer 2021), our A&P1 and A&P2 labs were instructed in a virtual format. Each lab session included a one-hour synchronous session led by teaching assistants followed by at-home lab activities performed independently by students. Formative lab practice assignments were provided, and summative lab assessments were conducted weekly. Student performance in these online A&P1 labs was similar to performance during in-person labs, although more students failed or withdrew from the combined A&P1 lecture and lab course in the online environment compared to in-person. A&P2 performance data were very similar online versus in-person for both the A&P2 lab and the combined A&P2 lecture and lab course. Overall, our experience supports the conclusion that course modality is not the central factor in determining student success.

Emotional Impact on Children from 3 to 5 Years Old due to Isolation in their Family Environment as a Consequence of COVID-19: Case of "Los Andes" Educational Unit

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 is a disease declared in December 2019 and it develops as a pneumonia that can progress to severe respiratory distress syndrome depending on the personal pathological history of everyone. This pandemic has generated impact worldwide in the health area as well as in the political, social, and psychological spheres;thus, it can be observed at present that isolation has caused various behavioral and psychological disorders in older adults, adults, adolescents and children, which can present as insomnia, anxiety, depression, among others. The objective of this research is to describe the emotional impact suffered by children 3-5 years old from the educational unit "Los Andes" because of isolation in their family environment as a consequence of COVID-19.