A Children-based Survey on Virtual Schooling/ Classrooms and Psycho-social Impacts Thereof in Elementary Education in Northeast India

Abstract

This study aims to assess the impact of virtual schooling on learning outcomes for elementary school children, particularly from marginalised social and economic groups, in eight aspirational districts across the North-East Region: Namsai (Arunachal), Hailakandi (Assam), Chandel (Manipur), Ribhoi (Meghalaya), Mamit (Mizoram), Kiphire (Nagaland), Gyalshing (Sikkim), and Dhalai (Tripura). This paper evaluates schools’ preparedness for online teaching and examines the impact of COVID-19 on the psychosocial well-being of elementary school children. The study used a mixed-methods approach, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data from Class VII and VIII students during the 2022-23 academic year. Schools were randomly selected based on administrative support, and the study focused on assessing systemic readiness, teaching quality, and the achievement of desired learning outcomes. The key concerns in online learning include the psychological well-being of students, the lack of essential infrastructure like devices and internet connectivity, and challenges such as network issues, material difficulty, distractions, and a preference for in-person learning. Addressing these requires creative, engaging teaching methods, robust support systems, and adapting teaching to meet students’ needs. Teachers need strong communication skills and updated ICT resources. Ensuring students are prepared and educating parents to foster a conducive home learning environment is also important. Social isolation and the need for better interaction between students and teachers can be mitigated through ICT tools. Effective assessment methods, such as assignments and objectivebased evaluations, are necessary to gauge learning while minimising dishonesty.