Primary school mathematics during the COVID-19 pandemic: No evidence of learning gaps in adaptive practicing results

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic induced many governments to close schools for months. Evidence so far suggests that learning has suffered as a result. Here, it is investigated whether forms of computer-assisted learning mitigated the decrements in learning observed during the lockdown.

Method

Performance of 53,656 primary school students who used adaptive practicing software for mathematics was compared to performance of similar students in the preceding year.

Results

During the lockdown progress was faster than it had been the year before, contradicting results reported so far. These enhanced gains were correlated with increased use, and remained after the lockdown ended. This was the case for all grades but more so for lower grades and for weak students, but less so for students in schools with disadvantaged populations.

Conclusions

These results suggest that adaptive practicing software may mitigate, or even reverse, the negative effects of school closures on mathematics learning.