The DOI matches its Crossref record; 30 of the 30 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Did students learn less during the COVID-19 pandemic? Reading and mathematics competencies before and after the first pandemic wave
Published version of a preprint
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted classes in spring 2020. Temporary school closures supposedly led to a considerable learning loss, particularly for low-achieving students. Teachers faced challenges of remote learning environments. Students spent less time learning. The present study investigates the competencies of fifth graders in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, using large-scale assessments in reading and mathematics from annual mandatory tests in September (each n > 80,000). Competence scores were slightly lower in 2020 (after 2 months of school closures) compared with the three previous years (–0.07 SD for reading comprehension, –0.09 for operations, and –0.03 for numbers). Regarding mathematics, low-achieving students seem to have a learning backlog that deserves attention in future education. School characteristics such as the average sociocultural capital and the proportion of students with a migration background played a minor role in mediating the schools’ learning loss. Still, lower sociocultural capital was positively associated with larger learning loss in mathematics.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“In operations and numbers, students at the 5th and 25th percentiles of initial achievement showed the greatest negative difference in score between the COVID and pre-COVID samples.”
From Unequal Learning Loss: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Influenced the Academic Growth of Learners at the Tails of the Achievement Distribution (2025) · cites this paper as Schult et al. (2022)
In the citing paper
“the 5th percentile group scored 28 points lower and the 95th percentile group scored 11 points higher than their pre-COVID peers”
From Unequal Learning Loss: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Influenced the Academic Growth of Learners at the Tails of the Achievement Distribution (2025) · cites this paper as Schult et al. (2022)
Citations
Cites
Wickham, H. (2016) · Use R! · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-24277-4 · Cited by 34,873
Lakens, D. (2013) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00863 · Cited by 10,303
The Split-Apply-Combine Strategy for Data Analysis
Wickham, H. (2011) · Journal of Statistical Software · doi:10.18637/jss.v040.i01 · Cited by 2,760
Learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic
Engzell, P., Frey, A., & Verhagen, M. D. (2021) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2022376118 · Cited by 1,848 · cited 9×
“Eight weeks of closed schools in the Netherlands in spring 2020 was associated with a loss of learning of 3 percentile ranks (n > 250,000, Grades 4 through 7; Engzell et al., 2021).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialThe theory and practice of item response theory.
Ayala, D. (2009) · Guilford Press eBooks · Cited by 1,812
Learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic
Engzell, P., Frey, A., & Verhagen, M. D. (2020) · doi:10.31235/osf.io/ve4z7 · Cited by 1,739
Ranking the effectiveness of worldwide COVID-19 government interventions
Haug, N., Geyrhofer, L., Londei, A., Dervic, E., Desvars-Larrive, A., Loreto, V., Pinior, B., Thurner, S., & Klimek, P. (2020) · Nature Human Behaviour · doi:10.1038/s41562-020-01009-0 · Cited by 1,412
Projecting the Potential Impact of COVID-19 School Closures on Academic Achievement
Kuhfeld, M., Soland, J., Tarasawa, B., Johnson, A., Ruzek, E., & Liu, J. (2020) · Educational Researcher · doi:10.3102/0013189x20965918 · Cited by 997
Journal for Educational Research Online
(2021) · Journal for Educational Research Online / Journal für Bildungsforschung Online · doi:10.31244/jero · Cited by 886
Test Equating, Scaling, and Linking
Kolen, M. J., & Brennan, R. L. (2014) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-0317-7 · Cited by 646
Research works printed but not linked: 9
- Depping D., 2021, DDS – Die Deutsche Schule, Beiheft, 17, 51
- Fischer U., 2017, leseforum.ch, 1
- Immerfall S., 2020, Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte, 70, 22
- Krüsken J., 2007, Kompetenzaufbau und Laufbahnen im Schulsystem: Ergebnisse einer Längsschnittuntersuchung an Grundschulen, 41
- Kuhfeld M., 2020, Technical appendix for: Learning during COVID-19: Initial findings on students’ reading and math achievement and growth
- Muijs D., 2021, What’s working well in remote education
- R Core Team., 2021, R: A language and environment for statistical computing [Computer software]
- Schulz A., 2017, Handbuch Rechenschwäche, 396
- Stanat P., 2017, ). IQB-Bildungstrend 2016. Kompetenzen in den Fächern Deutsch und Mathematik am Ende der 4. Jahrgangsstufe im zweiten Ländervergleich [IQB trends in student achievement 2016. The second national comparison of German and mathematics proficiencies at the end of fourth grade]
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 201–256 of 256
Kompensation von pandemiebedingten Lernlücken: Welche Rolle sollte die Diagnostik spielen?
Förster, N., Weber, C., Forthmann, B., Helm, C., & Kemethofer, D. (2023) · Zeitschrift für Bildungsforschung · doi:10.1007/s35834-023-00395-5
Social and academic embeddedness function as buffers against pandemic effects on schooling outcomesPreprint
van de Werfhorst, H. G., Zwier, D., Geven, S., Bol, T., & Haelermans, C. (2023) · doi:10.31235/osf.io/pz3m7
COVID-19 Pandemic and its Effects on Mental Health: Challenges of Senior Citizens in Nepal
Acharya, M., & Adhikari, M. R. (2023) · Interdisciplinary Research in Education · doi:10.3126/ire.v8i1.56727
Tancig, S. (2023) · Pedagoški inštitut eBooks · doi:10.32320/978-961-270-351-6.29-60
Hoffmeister, A., & Becker, U. (2023) · DDS – Die Deutsche Schule · doi:10.31244/dds.2023.04.07 · Cited by 1
Journal on Education in Emergencies: Volume 9, Number 1 (Complete)
Thompson, N., Colón, S., Burde, D., Arlini, S. M., Chefchaouni, N. C., Chia, J., Gordon, M., Shrestha, N., Østby, G., Gjerløw, H., et al. (2023) · Journal on Education in Emergencies · doi:10.33682/kbsk-pke2
Min, M., Nelson, R. A., & Bellows, E. (2023) · International Journal on Studies in Education · doi:10.46328/ijonse.182
Schult, J. (2024) · Journal for Educational Research Online / Journal für Bildungsforschung Online · doi:10.31244/jero.2022.02.01
Self-citationSpecial education law: How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted FAPE, child find, and FERPA laws.
Pierson, E. E., Young, K. L., & Pierson, S. K. (2024) · Journal of Pediatric Neuropsychology · doi:10.1007/s40817-024-00165-9
Masarykova univerzita, C. R., Šintálová, M., Cígler, H., Jabůrek, M., Portešová, Š., & Straka, O. (2024) · Ceskoslovenska psychologie · doi:10.51561/cspsych.68.2.186
Sapdi, R. M., Maylawati, D. S., Ramdania, D. R., Budiman, I., Al-Amin, M. I., & Fuadi, M. (2024) · JOIV International Journal on Informatics Visualization · doi:10.62527/joiv.8.2.1823
Soler, S. C. G., González, J. C., & Alvarado, L. K. A. (2024) · Education Economics · doi:10.1080/09645292.2024.2356231
Special education law: How the COVID‑19 pandemic has impacted FAPE, Child Find, and FERPA laws.
Pierson, E. E., Young, K. L., & Pierson, S. K. (2024) · Journal of Pediatric Neuropsychology · doi:10.1007/s40817-024-00163-x
Support Mechanism of School Administrators and Work Engagement of Teachers during the New Normal
Marcelino, S. V. (2024) · Journal of interdisciplinary perspectives · doi:10.69569/jip.2024.0077
Hidayah, L., Sueb, S., Sholeh, M., & Widodo, G. S. (2023) · International Research-Based Education Journal · doi:10.17977/um043v5i2p182-193
Rofiah, N. H., Budiyono, B., & Dewi, R. (2024) · Jurnal Civics Media Kajian Kewarganegaraan · doi:10.21831/jc.v21i1.66211
Golle, J., Lösche, P., Beißert, H. M., Wieland, A.-K., Rieber, R., Schult, J., Hasselhorn, M., Nagengast, B., & Trautwein, U. (2026) · npj Science of Learning · doi:10.1038/s41539-026-00439-1
Self-citationKürzinger, A., Seiderer, S., Funk, M., Schult, J., & Immerfall, S. (2024) · Zeitschrift für Grundschulforschung · doi:10.1007/s42278-024-00217-1
Self-citationSteinlen, A., & Piske, T. (2025) · Neofilolog · doi:10.14746/n.2025.64.1.2
Amtalao, J. (2025) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.5161258
Kim, J., Hornburg, C. B., Grose, G. E., Levinson, T. G., & Fazio, L. K. (2025) · Journal of Experimental Child Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2025.106290 · Cited by 1
Bangthamai, E. (2025) · International Journal of Information and Education Technology · doi:10.18178/ijiet.2025.15.5.2311
The Impact of COVID-19 in Brazil Through an Educational Neuroscience Lens: A Preliminary Study
Fonseca, C. G., Dias, C., Barbosa, M. L. L., Hermida, M. J., Carreiro, L. R. R., & Seabra, A. G. (2025) · Brain Sciences · doi:10.3390/brainsci15060548
Three Essays on Education and Health Economics
Mudrow, K. (2025) · The Research Repository @ WVU (West Virginia University) · doi:10.33915/etd.12838
Teachers’ Attitudes Towards the Use of Augmented Reality and a Socially Assistive Robot in Education
Pasalidou, C., Velentza, A.-M., & Fachantidis, N. (2025) · Lecture notes in computer science · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-93746-0_15
Addi‐Raccah, A., & Streisfeld, S. (2025) · Social Justice Research · doi:10.1007/s11211-025-00461-5
Long-term assessment of hybrid period first graders’ reading and writing fluency
Bilge, H., Uysal, P. K., & Rasinski, T. V. (2025) · The Journal of Educational Research · doi:10.1080/00220671.2025.2539113
Aldea, K., & Dayawon, M. A. (2025) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.5364396
Perusopetuksen tilannekuva erilaistuvissa kunnissa: Manner-Suomen kuntien tarkastelu
Kalalahti, M., Minkkinen, L., Saarinen, T., Tyni, K., Vaara, E., Ala‐Vähälä, T., Häkkinen, P., Jänkälä, J.-P., Pitkänen, H., Pöysä‐Tarhonen, J., et al. (2025) · Koulutuksen tutkimuslaitos Raportteja ja työpapereita · doi:10.17011/ktl-rt/16 · Cited by 6
Impact of the COVID ‐19 Pandemic on School‐Based Medical Services in Austria
Hyll, W. (2025) · Journal of School Health · doi:10.1111/josh.70069
Feng, M., Brezack, N., Huang, C., Kao, Y., Collins, K., Lee, M. S. C., Schneider, M., & Chan, W. (2025) · Journal of Computer Assisted Learning · doi:10.1111/jcal.70106
Forgone and Forgotten Learning: A framework and national estimates from BangladeshPreprint
Djaker, S., Sabarwal, S., Ramachandra, S., Angrist, N., & Chang, A. Y. (2025) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.5442021
Mailizar, M., Johar, R., & Hidayat, M. (2025) · International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education · doi:10.29333/iejme/17051 · Cited by 1
Schneider, R. M., Weirich, S., Kuhl, P., Schipolowski, S., & Stanat, P. (2025) · Learning and Instruction · doi:10.1016/j.learninstruc.2025.102228
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on student performance in anatomy and physiology labs
Pollock, N. B. (2025) · AJP Advances in Physiology Education · doi:10.1152/advan.00163.2025
A lost generation? The impact of COVID-19 on high school students’ achievements
Contini, D., Tommaso, M. L. D., Muratori, C., Piazzalunga, D., & Schiavon, L. (2025) · The Journal of Economic Inequality · doi:10.1007/s10888-025-09708-2 · Cited by 13
Lohmann, C., & Haller, T. (2025) · Research in Social Stratification and Mobility · doi:10.1016/j.rssm.2025.101106
Inostroza, C., Quijada, Y., Félix Cova, S., Lobos, K., Bustos, C., & Saldivia, S. (2025) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-00025-5_16
How lessons learned from NAEP 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic can improve remote online learning
Rodriguez, W. N. B., Finnegan, R., & Por, H. (2025) · Large-scale Assessments in Education · doi:10.1186/s40536-025-00271-w
Prediger, S., & Wischgoll, A. (2025) · Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft · doi:10.1007/s11618-025-01364-6
Educational Software to Strengthen Mathematical Skills in First-Year Higher Education Students
Guerrero, S. C., Avila, C. A. M., & Cárdenas, M. A. G. (2025) · Open Education Studies · doi:10.1515/edu-2025-0122
Birnbaum, L., Dehmel, A., Fröhlich, N., Norwig, K., Rutsch, J., Rangel, U., & Fauth, B. (2026) · Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft · doi:10.1007/s11618-025-01367-3
Self-citationStark, S., Geertsema, S., le Roux, M., & Graham, M. A. (2026) · South African Journal of Education · doi:10.15700/saje.v46n1a2758
Lerkkanen, M., & Pakarinen, E. (2026) · Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks · doi:10.1108/s0749-742320260000023005
Yılmaz, T. Y., Oğuzcan, H. M., Yücedağ, S., Yalçın, S., & Akarsu, Z. (2026) · Batı Anadolu eğitim bilimleri dergisi · doi:10.51460/baebd.1756914
Johnson, D., Finegold, K. E., Page, D., & Wade, M. (2026) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-03292-8_16
Rechtschreibleistungen im Fokus
Busse, F., Goecke, B., Wilhelm, O., Böhnisch, M., & Weiss, S. (2026) · Diagnostica · doi:10.1026/0012-1924/a000366
Acuña, A. R., & Diquito, T. J. A. (2026) · doi:10.69739/jsdl.v1i1.1776
Lee, Y., Kwok, O., & Wu, J. (2026) · Interactive Learning Environments · doi:10.1080/10494820.2026.2676675
Muñoz, P. M., & Tamoria, F. V. (2026) · Advanced Social Science in Research Journal · doi:10.11594/assrj.01.03.13
Child development post-COVID-19 school closures in Ghana: The roles of remote learning experiences
Hang, H., Aurino, E., & Wolf, S. (2026) · International Journal of Educational Development · doi:10.1016/j.ijedudev.2026.103650
No Recovery from the COVID-Slide Yet: The Reading Skills of Undergraduate Students
Kuperman, V., Thériault, K., Taler, V., & Geva, E. (2026) · Scientific Studies of Reading · doi:10.1080/10888438.2026.2721437
Efectos de la digitalización municipal en el aprendizaje escolar postpandemia: evidencia desde Chile
Gálvez-Gamboa, F. A., Pinochet-Quiroz, P., Navarro-Ortiz, A., & Muñoz-Riquelme, J. (2026) · Edutec Revista Electrónica de Tecnología Educativa · doi:10.21556/edutec.2026.97.4465
Metadata
- Authors
- Schult, J., Mahler, N., Fauth, B., & Lindner, M. A.
- Affiliations
- Institute for Educational Analysis Baden-Württemberg (IBBW), Stuttgart, Germany
- University of Tübingen (DE)
- Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Schult, Johannes
- Venue
- School Effectiveness and School Improvement
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2022-04-11
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 544-563
- ISSN
- 0924-3453 (ISSN-L)
- 1744-5124
- OpenAlex
- W4225792954
- Cited by
- 262
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 37 · 2024: 44 · 2023: 71 · 2022: 48
- FWCI
- 107.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- School Effectiveness and School Improvement (publishedVersion)
- PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Education during COVID-19 pandemic
- Social Sciences › Education › School Choice and Performance
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts
- Keywords
- COVID-19 pandemic, learning loss, school closures, distance education, reading comprehension, mathematical ability, fifth grade students, low-achieving students, socio-cultural capital, migration background, school characteristics, large-scale assessment, Baden-Württemberg
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review