Date

7-22-2025

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Laura Rolen

Keywords

COVID-19, school closure, IOWA Test scores, adolescents

Disciplines

Education | Psychology

Abstract

This paper addresses past research that examined the effects of COVID-19 on academics and presents a study further examining an area of academics before and after COVID-19. Research relating to COVID-19 has varied, studying correlations and effects on factors such as mental health and relationships. Researchers and educators projected various degrees of learning loss, and while some studies have revealed some loss, others have revealed little to no change. Further research is needed to continue developing researchers’ and educators’ understanding of how COVID-19 and the shift to online learning may have been related to learning and academics of young adolescents. This study sought to further the field of development and provide more understanding by examining how IOWA Test scores may have differed before and after school closure during COVID-19 in adolescents in a private school setting. This study compared IOWA Test scores of a cohort of students from before and after the shutdown of a private school due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study utilized archival data of the 2019-2020 sixth-grade cohort two years before and after the shutdown of schools. Multiple ANOVA tests and univariate analyses were conducted to examine the data; a Friedman test statistic and a Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used for the language total because it did not meet tests of normality. The results of each test were significant. There was a difference in test scores before and after the shutdown of schools from COVID-19. The means of each set of scores increased each year; however, the significance of this increase would need to be explored in future study.

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