Aarhus University: New Global Study Sheds Light on the Learning Crisis: Three Years After COVID-19

TIMSS 2023 has revealed an alarming global learning crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to the long term trend in progress in mathematics and science achievement has not only stalled but reversed when taking school closures into account, with the most vulnerable students facing the steepest losses.

Key Findings

• Global Achievement Decline: A 0.11 standard deviation drop in student performance reflects the pandemic's lasting impact.
• Disproportionate Impact: Low performers, girls, and language minorities faced losses up to twice the average (0.22 standard deviations), deepening existing inequities.
• Regional Variations: Countries with prolonged school closures and limited remote learning resources experienced the steepest declines.

Why This Matters

School closures disrupted the education of over one billion children worldwide, with disadvantaged students suffering the most. “The widening gender gap in STEM fields is particularly troubling,” said Christian Kjeldsen, incoming Chair of IEA and a leading researcher at Aarhus University. “Years of progress encouraging girls to pursue STEM careers are at risk. This represents a serious loss of potential.”

“TIMSS data show that in countries with prolonged school closures, achievement levels are often lower than expected,” said co-author Harry Patrinos, Head of the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas. “The data not only reveal the scale of learning losses but also highlight the vulnerabilities of disadvantaged students, making it clear that equitable recovery efforts are essential to ensuring all students can thrive in the post-pandemic era.”

Recommendations for Recovery

• Targeted Support: Programs designed to help disadvantaged students who experienced the most significant setbacks.
• Recovery Policies: National and international collaboration to implement strategies that mitigate learning losses and promote equity in education.
• Preparedness for Future Disruptions: Investments in robust remote learning infrastructure to better equip schools for challenges like pandemics or other crises.

The Study and Its Authors

TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) is a global benchmark in education assessment, conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). Since 1995, it has provided critical insights into learning outcomes worldwide.

The analysis of Covid's global impact on education is by a multidisciplinary team, including experts from Aarhus University, home to the Danish School of Education (DPU), one of Europe’s leading institutions in education research. Collaborators also include the University of Arkansas, renowned for innovative approaches to education reform, and researchers from IEA in Germany, and Poland from the University of Warsaw.

For More Information

https://edre.uark.edu/_resources/pdf/edrewp-2024-08.pdf

Citation

Gajderowicz, T., Jakubowski, M., Kennedy, A., Kjeldsen, C., Patrinos, H., & Strietholt, R. (2024). The Learning Crisis: Three Years After COVID-19. Working Paper.

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