What Do Child Psychologists Say About Online Teaching?

The COVID pandemic has taken a toll on many industries, including education. In-class traditional-style learning was replaced across the globe by online classes when lockdown restrictions and measures were put in place to ensure that the rapid spread of COVID-19 was slowed as much as possible. Prior to the pandemic, online learning was growing as its own industry in a way that allowed students to choose if they wanted to learn remotely or in class. But when that choice was taken away because of the viral spread, it affected all students.

The long-term effects of online learning are yet to be determined, but some child psychologists are seeing the short-term effects that have begun to plague school-aged children both in their studies and outside of school. So what do child psychologists say about online teaching?

How are online classes affecting kids?
The introduction of fully online classes has affected children tremendously. The new learning curve presented during the school year has given kids a level of confusion surrounding their studies that they have never faced before. Many students are now struggling worse than before, and their parents aren’t quite sure how to remedy the situation.

An interview with Dr. Patricia Perez by the American Psychological Association found that the disturbing trend of struggling students is widespread and detrimental to not only the school year they’re experiencing, but the rest of their studies as well. Dr. Perez was working with a child in Chicago who was passionate about math and science, and participated in various school clubs such as the robotics and United Nations clubs prior to the pandemic. But this promising student had changed from a passionate learner into someone who wasn’t all that excited to continue his studies at all following graduation of high school.

The motivation this particular student lost towards his studies was just the tip of the iceberg – he is not the only student who no longer sees school in the same light as he did prior to the pandemic.

How do online classes affect students’ mental health?
Mental health has taken a drastic hit since the pandemic began. Social isolation and routine changes are just two of the main driving factors of declining mental health. Online schooling has forced children to cope with issues and life pressure they were unprepared to take on. Studies have shown that school environments are more than just places to learn for developing children. They are also vital for fostering other types of development, such as the motivation for goal setting and the development of social relationships.

A 2019 study published in the Journal of School Health found that mental health services being given at school were also a big loss for school-aged kids; up to 35% of children relied solely on school to access these services. Without being able to get the help they need, and with the added loss of their education routine and social interaction, the mental health of the nation’s youth has taken a big hit because of pandemic-driven online learning.

Professor of Educational Psychology at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Dr. Beth Doll, told the American Psychological Association, “We have to be careful and acknowledge just how big a change this has been for kids and families. We have taken away the context that supports their engagement in school and their overall wellbeing, plus they are dealing with the tremendous uncertainty about the future.”

With the ups and downs of the pandemic still rolling, the future for many students is still up in the air, weighing on their mental health.

What are the psychological effects of online learning?
Research has delved into what kinds of impacts the psychological effects of online learning can have on students of all ages – and the results are not positive. Anxiety, for example, has risen tremendously since the onset of mass online learning. The level of anxiety reported was mild; however, over 85% of students had developed anxious feelings when online learning was introduced because of the pandemic. While some of the anxiety felt was pandemic-related, the level of new worry over the loss of social connections, falling behind academically, and developing mental health issues such as depression was high among students.

Depression has also risen dramatically during online learning caused by the pandemic. Studies have shown, too, that it wasn’t directly related to their knowledge of the pandemic but rather the changes in the effect it had on their academic and personal lives.

Other psychological effects include a lack of motivation for schoolwork, isolation, loneliness, and a loss of confidence or poor self-esteem. Since online classes take away much of the positive benefits that in-person learning has, it can be difficult to avoid these adverse effects of online learning. According to the American Psychological Association, these effects are felt even worse by students who have behavioral disorders as well.

Mental health services for online students
Many students who are experiencing the side effects of online learning may have to turn to other sources of assistance for mental health support. The issue is that not all students can afford to pay for these services, nor are they as readily available as they are when children are in school. Fortunately, there are some online directories that can help students find the help they need to help cope with these changing times while they continue with their online studies.

Online learning is not, in and of itself, a bad thing that drives students towards poor mental health. It can make things convenient for students who are offered the choice. The problem is that students weren’t given the option because of school closures, and those large changes in their routine and complete lack of all the social and developmental benefits in-school learning provides have taken a serious toll on the mental health of young people across the country.

 

Featured image by Annie Spratt on Unsplash