Mind the Gap: Educational Inequalities during Covid-19

Lead Research Organisation: University of Essex
Department Name: Inst for Social and Economic Research

Abstract

School closures have affected roughly 10m children and young people across the UK, interrupting their learning and placing considerably more responsibility for educational activities on the home environment than ever before. This is expected to slow the progress of a whole generation of students and to widen gender, socio-economic, and ethnic inequalities. Addressing widening inequalities is essential to avoid undesirable long-term consequences, including negative labour market and health outcomes leading to lower economic productivity, increased health care costs, and reduced social mobility.

This research project will analyse the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on educational outcomes with a view to understanding whether some groups of students have been more negatively affected than others, including by students' gender, socio-economic background and ethnicity. We will consider how the period of school closures has impacted students' learning inputs, comprising investments of time and resources provided by schools, parents, and the students themselves, and how the attainment of year 10 and year 13 students (and higher education participation of A-level students) has been affected by the move to teacher-assessed grades.
 
Description Mind the Gap: Educational Inequalities during Covid-19 provided new knowledge in three key areas:

1) How the period of Covid-19 school closures has impacted students' learning inputs, including parental help with homework and school provision of remote education. We found that schools significantly improved their provision of online and offline lessons between the first and second period of Covid-19 school closures. In response to this, both primary and secondary school students increased their levels of engagement, and most parents helped more with schoolwork. These patterns were observed regardless of socio-economic background. The provision of on-line lessons had an equalizing effect: it reduced differences in the time primary school children from different socio-economic backgrounds spent on schoolwork, and in secondary schools reduced gender differences in students' study time.

2) How GCSE attainment in core subjects has been affected by the move to teacher assessed grades during Covid-19. We compare grades based on teacher predictions during Covid-19 to grades received through blindly marked examinations in previous years, focusing on ethnic minority students. Relative to White British students, teachers assessed ethnic minority students' performance in maths higher and ethnic minority students' performance in English lower than in previous years. These effects do not disappear when observable differences between groups are accounted for, with teacher biases remaining a convincing explanation of the results.

3) How Covid-19 impacted ethnic and socio-economic gaps on the path to a university place. Outcomes of applicants in the UCAS application process depend on many factors, including prior educational performance and educational track, predicted grades, what applications students choose to make, whether they receive an offer, and more. At the time of the first Covid-19 lockdown students had already submitted their university applications. We find that historically both Black and Asian students have a lower probability of receiving an offer and lower probability of being accepted on their firm choice than White British students, and they are considerably more successful at finding a place through Clearing than White students. The main impact of COVID-19 on the university admissions process was to reduce their scope to do so. Grade inflation meant fewer unfilled places, restricting access through Clearing particularly to low-tariff institutions.
Exploitation Route Academic routes: We are in the process of publishing the papers produced through this grant and expect our results to contribute to the literatures on school-home interactions in education production, on teacher bias in grading and on university access, and to influence the academic discourse on these topics.

Non-academic routes: The question of how to engage students and parents in home-learning is still highly policy-relevant as schools support students in catching up for lost learning, to bridge any absences and to prepare for future closures. We are engaging with policy makers about how new technologies and procedures implemented during Covid-19 can be put to best use for this purpose. We are also disseminating our results on teacher grading to non-academic audiences and engaging on policy discussions around the UCAS application process, e.g. the role of personal statements and references.
Sectors Education

Government

Democracy and Justice

URL https://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/research/projects/mind-the-gap-educational-inequalities-during-covid-19
 
Description As a result of co-designing the education modules of the UKHLS Covid-19 questionnaires for this project, Rabe was appointed Scientific Advisor by NatCen to advise on questionnaire design of two Education & Outcomes Panel Studies (B and C, relating to primary and secondary school). Her input improves the relevance and quality of the questionnaire for use by the DfE and other policy makers. During the grant duration the findings of the Covid-19 Rapid Response project fed into live debates, in particular around learning loss, education recovery, child wellbeing, and the impact of teacher-assessed exam grades. Through a large number of engagement activities and timely reports and publications we clarified the impacts of school closures and exam cancellations and how they differed for different groups of children and young people, both to the public and to policy makers, third-sector organisations and practitioners. This has fed into the wider debate about education recovery and child wellbeing. We also impacted the questionnaire design of the Understanding Society Covid-19 Study. Specifically, we co-designed the education models including instruments to collect information about school closures and distance learning, and the data is now available as a resource for academic and non-academic data users. In the period after the grant ended, impact is developing in thirdly main areas. Firstly, our work supporting the survey content development for the Understanding Society Covid-19 Study led to Rabe being appointed as Scientific Advisor for the DfE-funded Education and Outcomes Panel Study (B and C, relating to primary and secondary school), conducted by NatCen, where she directly influences the relevance and quality of the design of a new major education survey for use by the DfE and other non-academic and academic users. Secondly, our work on university applications and on exam grades are feeding into the policy debate around pre vs. post-qualifications admissions to university and around the future of school exams. For example, we discussed our work with the President of the National Union of Students Larissa Kennedy, to inform her response to the June 2022 interest rate cap and Augar Review changes and the Associate Director for Research, Data and Analytics at the Office for Qualifications and Examination Regulation has asked for more information on our finding on teacher stereotyping in teacher-assessed exams. Engagement with decision-makers in these policy areas is ongoing. Thirdly, our work has led to the submission of a large ESRC responsive mode grant application building on the Rapid Response project findings to better understand how students make their university application decisions. This application is led by Holford for whom preparing the submission and potentially leading a large grant is an important career step; we are awaiting the outcome of the application.
First Year Of Impact 2021
Sector Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Government, Democracy and Justice
Impact Types Societal

Economic

Policy & public services

 
Description (6th April 2021) Call with Open Innovation Team (Louis Coiffait) to share expert opinion on the education systems' recovery from C19 - how inputs from schools, parents, children interact; university applications (Birgita Rabe)
Geographic Reach Local/Municipal/Regional 
Policy Influence Type Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health
 
Description CITATION (26th august 2021): 'Children's well-being during COVID' The Children's Society's: The Good Childhood Report 2021
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Citation in other policy documents
URL https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/information/professionals/resources/good-childhood-report-2021
 
Description Engaged with the exam board AQA and met with them to share expertise on teacher/centre assessed grades and implications for exam grades in 2021 (BIrgitta Rabe)
Geographic Reach Local/Municipal/Regional 
Policy Influence Type Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health
 
Description Invited speaker at "Social Mobility and Education", meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Social Science and Policy (Birgitta Rabe)
Geographic Reach Local/Municipal/Regional 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
 
Description Joined the Interdisciplinary Child Well-Being Network, which aims to bring together academics and non-academics who study the impact of the COVID crisis on children from a wide range of disciplines. (Birgitta Rabe)
Geographic Reach Local/Municipal/Regional 
Policy Influence Type Membership of a guideline committee
URL https://icwbn.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/
 
Description Scientific Advisor for NatCen on Education & Outcomes Panel Study B (primary school) (Birgitta Rabe)
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to new or improved professional practice
Impact I advise on questionnaire design, improving its relevance and quality for use by the DfE and other policy makers.
 
Description Scientific Advisor for NatCen on Education & Outcomes Panel Study C (secondary school) (Birgitta Rabe)
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to new or improved professional practice
Impact I advise on questionnaire design, improving its relevance and quality for use by the DfE and other policy makers.
 
Description Member of the Interdisciplinary Child Well-Being Network (https://icwbn.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/), 
Organisation University of St Andrews
Department School of Geography & Sustainable Development
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution I became a member of the Interdisciplinary Child Well-Being Network, presented at their workshop 'Studying the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on children in Ireland and the United Kingdom' and contributed to a policy brief http://www.cpc.ac.uk/docs/2022_PB67_Covid19_and_childrens_well-being.pdf
Collaborator Contribution Organisation and coordination of the network, workshop and policy note
Impact Workshop Policy note
Start Year 2021
 
Description (19th May 2021): Open Innovation Team meeting, topic: piece of work for the DfE on how best to use time in the school day, including possibilities for an extended school day, and other catch-up measures. With Olivia O'Sullivan. (Birgitta Rabe) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Open Innovation Team: meeting 19.5.2021, topic: piece of work for the DfE on how best to use time in the school day, including possibilities for an extended school day, and other catch-up measures. Olivia O'Sullivan
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description (5th May 2021): Education system recovery and resilience: a Nuffield Foundation roundtable for the Open Innovation Team (BIrgitta Rabe) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Education system recovery and resilience: a Nuffield Foundation roundtable for the Open Innovation Team
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description A talk for staff from NatCen and Department for Education (6 Feb 2023): How to engage students and parents in home learning (Rabe) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Talk to inform the new DfE cohort study (EOPS-B, EOPS-C) design. Input into questionnaires on home learning and school activities.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description ADR UK research fellowships 2022 - Grant Panel member 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Professor Emilia Del Bono was invited to take part in the Grant Panel to assess the ADR UK research fellowships 2022.
This activity requires reading and providing reports on a number of applications as well as participating in meetings to discuss a final grade for each application.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022,2023
 
Description EVENT (14th October 2021): Participation at ESRC-GSR: Actionable Insights Seminar Series: Seminar 5 - Effective Public Services 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact This seminar focused on:
• Educational outcomes for different groups, such as socio-economic background, gender and ethnicity
• Impacts of social distancing, home schooling and exam cancellations
• Actionable insights on how to mitigate the impact of COVID-19
• Longer-term implications for social mobility
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://solace.org.uk/actionable-insights-policy-seminars/
 
Description EVENT (29th November 2021): Presentation at AERA-OECD webinar 'How education fared during the first wave of Covid-19 lockdowns?' 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact On November 29, AERA and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) held an international forum, "How Education Fared During the First Wave of COVID-19 Lockdowns? International Evidence," drawing an audience of more than 1,600 researchers, policy experts, and practitioners from 86 countries.

Forum participants examined the findings and implications of a new OECD report, Schooling During a Pandemic. The report provides the first synthesis of high-quality studies on student learning and well-being during the first wave of COVID-19 lockdowns (March-June 2020), coming mainly from France, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Interview from IQ magazine afterwards.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.aera.net/Newsroom/AERA-Highlights-E-newsletter/AERA-Highlights-November-2021/AERA-and-OE...
 
Description EVENT (8th September 2021): Participation at the Interdisciplinary Child Well-Being Network workshop '"COVID-19 crisis and children's economic well-being, education and mental health in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland (Birgitta Rabe) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Interdisciplinary Child Well-Being Network workshop on the COVID-19 crisis and children's economic well-being, education and mental health in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN8v2tvtuiYcHScJI2Jl9tw
 
Description Event (1-2 September 2021): Presenter at 2nd Joint IZA & Jacobs Center Workshop: Consequences of Covid-19 for Child and Youth Development, "School Closures and Children's Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties" 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Presenter at IZA/Jacobs Centre worshop: "School Closures and Children's Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties"
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://conference.iza.org/conference_files/covid_2021/invitation.html
 
Description Event (19 May 2021): Presented to the OIT (Olivia O'Sullivan): how best to use time in the school day, including possibilities for an extended school day, and other catch-up measures 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact OIT: meeting 19.5., topic: piece of work for the DfE on how best to use time in the school day, including possibilities for an extended school day, and other catch-up measures. Olivia O'Sullivan
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Event (22-24 September 2021): Panelist on the Policy Panel on Ways Out of the Education Crisis Triggered by School Closures during the Pandemic at the 6th IZA Workshop: The Economics of Education (Birgitta Rabe) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Panelist on the Policy Panel on Ways Out of the Education Crisis Triggered by School Closures during the Pandemic at the 6th IZA Workshop: The Economics of Education
'Children's mental health and education recovery'
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://conference.iza.org/conference_files/edu_2021/viewProgram?conf_id=3392
 
Description MEDIA (12th June 2022): Essex Vlogs: Brighter Futures - The impact of COVID-19 school closures on social inequalities and mental health in young people (Birgitta Rabe) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact What was the real impact of COVID-19, lockdown and school closures on children's mental health and development? Birgitta Rabe at the Institute for Social and Economic Research speaks to Jules Pretty about her research and how she provided vital evidence which influenced UK Government policy.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.essex.ac.uk/blog/posts/2022/06/12/the-impact-of-covid-school-closures
 
Description MEDIA (17th May 2022): Podcast for Interdisciplinary Child Well-Being Network (Birgita Rabe) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact In episode 5 of the Generation Pandemic podcast we discuss the mental health and wellbeing of children before, during and after the pandemic. Joining host, Catherine McDonald, are Professor Cathy Cresswell and Dr Jennifer McMahon from the Co-SPACE study, Professor Birgitta Rabe from the Institute of Social and Economic Research, and Laura, a mother of two primary school aged children. Laura explains how the isolation and anxiety caused by the pandemic has manifested in her children's behaviour, and the panel discuss how they have tracked children's mental health changes and the urgent need to address the effects they have evidenced.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://icwbn.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2022/05/17/covid-19-childrens-mental-health-and-wellbeing-2/
 
Description MEDIA (20 September 2021): IFS Podcast 'how to fix the education system' with Paul Johnson and Luke Sibieta (BIrgitta Rabe) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact recording of IFS podcast 'how to fix the education system' with Paul Johnson and Luke Sibieta.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://play.acast.com/s/7254eb54-5204-5553-bbb1-512e0f4731ef/6149f5a419a4970012825990
 
Description MEDIA (25th January 2021): Understanding Society Insights podcast 'How have the pandemic related school closures affected our children?' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Understanding Society Insights podcast 'How have the pandemic related school closures affected our children?'
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/podcasts/how-have-the-pandemic-related-school-closures-affect...
 
Description MEDIA (29th November 2021): Article in Politics Home: Children are facing a 'double hit' from pandemic 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Birgitta's research with colleagues at the Universities of Surrey and Birmingham was funded by the Nuffield Foundation. They used Understanding Society's special COVID-19 Survey which ran between April 2020 and September 2021. Using the new data, they found "a significant rise in emotional and behavioural difficulties among primary school children following the 2020 spring and summer term school closures, a rise that was greater for the children who were not prioritised to return to school for seven weeks before the summer holiday".
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.politicshome.com/members/article/childrens-double-hit-from-pandemic
 
Description NEON Conference 'Reforming the higher education admission system: what does the evidence tell us?' 30.11.2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Conference on higher education admission. Sparked follow-up requests
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.educationopportunities.co.uk/events/reforming-the-higher-education-admission-system-what...
 
Description NEON Summer Symposium (Holford) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact NEON (National Education Opportunities Network) is a think tank for university Widening Participation Officers. I presented work using the UCAS applications data, on the sources of ethnic and SES gaps in access to university, which prompted reflection on how the audience's own institutions make these decisions. I also discussed work on student fees, grants, and loans, with the President of the National Union of Students, to inform her response to the June 2022 interest rate cap and Augar Review changes.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.educationopportunities.co.uk/events/summer-symposium-2022/
 
Description NatCen 'Education and Inequality: Taking Stock and Finding Solutions' workshop (Holford) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Presented work using UCAS applications data on the stages at which inequalities emerge/are caused. Fielded several questions asking for further explanation where audience's assumptions/expectations were challenged. Approached for link to full work and methodology afterwards. (Scroll to 1h57:20 in Youtube link below for presentation).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5j0o4NsKlQ
 
Description OTHER (24th November 2022): Various teaching materials for Futurum (Birgitta Rabe) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact New teaching resources from Birgitta Rabe, based on the research on the impact of the pandemic on children's quality of life. Using Understanding Society Data.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://futurumcareers.com/using-big-datasets-to-find-out-what-affects-childrens-quality-of-life
 
Description Podcast for UCU Widening Participation Officers (Holford) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Recorded a podcast with Angela Nartey, Policy Officer for the University and College Union, to inform Widening Participation Officers about the stages of the UCAS application process that cause gaps in outcomes by ethnicity and social background, and what could be done to narrow these.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation at NEON event University access: The role of background and Covid-19 throughout the application process (Holford) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Presentation sparked discussion and follow-up requests
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.educationopportunities.co.uk/events/reforming-the-higher-education-admission-system-what...
 
Description Presentation at workshop on teacher assessments (Hettie Burn) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The event focused on the future of examinations and was attended by various stake-holders with decision-making power, including civil servants from the Department for Education and Office for Qualifications and Examination Regulation. As a result of the event, the Associate Director for Research, Data and Analytics at the Office for Qualifications and Examination Regulation has followed up to ask to see the research outputs in greater detail.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
URL https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/events/2024/feb/workshop-inequalities-teacher-assessment-prediction-and-mi...
 
Description Presentaton to MiSoC Policy Advisory Group on distance learning and grading during Covid-19 and on free school meals (Birgitta Rabe) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact We presented to our Policy Advisory Group and discussed our findings, policy implications and dissemination channels. We followed up with several participants on their suggestions and were invited to give another presentation for Scottish Government
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023