Pandemic digital structural violence: Teachers' observation of post-pandemic learning loss in students

Abstract

Almost four academic years have passed since emergency remote teaching (ERT) was employed as a temporary means for continuing education. In the post-pandemic era, residual impacts from ERT are still unfolding. Teachers reported a pronounced decrease in students' academic performance, concentration and social skills. As time passes, we seem to have forgotten the negative impacts of ERT on students, which affects primary, secondary, and even university students. Using case studies, digital ethnography and autoethnography, this research explores ERT in a private school in Canada and a local Band 3 school in Hong Kong. The qualitative data allow an extensive analysis of the circumstances and outcomes of two diverse groups of students. The findings include class participation as an outcome of limited resources; students' motivation and independent learning skills differ on the basis of their socioeconomic status; and the issues of mind wandering and concentration, which manifest in various ways. Despite school resumption, these findings show that the negative impacts remain in today's classrooms. This research argues that the negative consequences differentially affect students and proposes the need to coin the term ‘pandemic digital structural violence’ (PDSV) to address the core problem accurately. This research urges educators to be aware of PDSV and avoid blaming their students. It also urges policy makers to address the unfairness while moving on to develop digitised education further.