Learning Recovery After the Pandemic

Bounce Back Stronger : Learning Recovery After the Pandemic

1.1. The COVID-19 Pandemic and Learning Outcomes
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the learning process in nearly 200 countries. In March 2020, the Indonesian Government adopted a school closure policy to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the school environment. Implicit in the instruction to close schools was the need to adapt to alternative forms of the teaching and learning process, including distance learning. In Indonesia, approximately 70 million students were affected by the COVID-19 school closure policy(Afkar & Yarrow, 2021; Arsendy, Gunawan, et al., 2020).
While the implementation of the policy varied widely across regions, multiple studies have indicated that, in general, learning is likely to be negatively affected during a pandemic. The preliminary research conducted by INOVASI in early 2020 across 18 partner districts/cities revealed that only 28% of students participated in online learning, while the remaining students continued with face-to-face learning outside of school or, in some cases, did not study at all (Arsendy, Sukoco, et al., 2020). Another study carried out in Probolinggo found disruptions caused by the pandemic also hindered the continuity of literacy and multigrade programs (Raihani & Sari, 2022). Further factors inhibiting learning during the pandemic were limited infrastructure, a lack preparation for teachers to teach blended learning, and insufficient
support from local stakeholders.
Ineffective learning is a case in point. As in Indonesia, ineffective distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the loss of access to education for thousands of students (Arsendy et al., 2023). For example, baseline data collected in early 2021 indicated aconsistent decline in enrolment rates in both early and upper grades Specifically for Grade 1 students, enrolments were 3% lower for the 2020/2021 academic year than for 2019/2020. Likewise, in upper classes, a downward trend was identified with the average dropout rate for grades 2-6 reaching 0.78%. These findings are consistent with those of studies conducted in other developing countries (Asian Development Bank, 2021).
In addition to the decline in school enrolment rates, school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic also contributed to learning loss. which is recognised as either a delay in achieving the expected level of learning ability or the loss of previously mastered competencies. (Betthäuser et al., 2022). As shown in Figure 1, compared to the performance before the pandemic, one year after the pandemic, early-grade students under investigation in the study indicated learning loss equivalent to 0.47 sd or which equates to approximately 6 months of learning in literacy, and 0.44 sd in numeracy, corresponding to closely five months of learning.
As well as the assessment of learning loss, the study evaluated student learning performance against learning standards and expectations, referred to as the learning gap. The data gathered revealed approximately 1 in 10 students in grades 2 and 3 suggested a literacy skill equivalent to the pre-primary level, while for numeracy, the proportion was roughly 2 in 10 students (Spink et al., 2022).

According to comparative data, learning loss in Indonesia was more significant than in other countries. For instance, in the United States, studies conducted by Contini et al. (2023) indicated that the decline in students’ learning performance for literacy and numeracy reached approximately 0.40 sd. Another study conducted in the Netherlands found that students’ learning performance only decreased by around 0.30 sd (Engzell et al., 2021; Maldonado & De Witte, 2022). These differences may be attributed to the shorter length of school closures in other countries than in Indonesia and the level of support provided for online learning.
The COVID-19 pandemic and school closures impacted all students in Indonesia, but students considered particularly vulnerable were the most affected. The intersectional analysis conducted by INOVASI revealed that comparatively, students most at risk were those living in remote areas, students with disabilities, and students with low proficiency in Bahasa Indonesia (Pascoe et al., 2022). In line with findings from a study conducted prior to the pandemic (Arsendy & Sukoco, 2020), performance by male students was weaker than that of female students. The vulnerabilities experienced by students in Indonesia that resulted in heightened learning loss were also observed among students in other countries. Several studies identified
shared characteristics that tended to increase vulnerability, including students with low innate ability (Contini et al., 2023), students with less educated parents (Engzell et al., 2021), and students from disadvantaged households (Betthäuser et al., 2022). The severity of the impact on vulnerable students has the potential to further widen inequality now and in the future (Psacharopoulos et al., 2020).
Although the data presented establishes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the learning
process, some limitations must be outlined. First, the foregoing data only describes the
immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, the data does not comprehensively explain the extent to which the policies implemented during the pandemic contributed to student performance. In Indonesia, central and local governments implemented several significant measures to promote quality learning during the pandemic. Furthermore, the presented data is deemed insufficient to describe how government policies have contributed to a recovery in student performance. Lastly, the concept of learning loss focused solely on the decline in learning outcomes students experienced without considering their potential for continued growth.
The aim of this new study by INOVASI is to gain a deeper understanding of learning recovery and the ways in which national education policies contribute to retrieving the learning process. The data on learning recovery offer genuine hope for the future of quality education in Indonesia. The following section elaborates on the study conducted on learning recovery.

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Sumber : Kemdikbud