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Responses to Educational Disruption Survey: Study Motivation, Design, and Challenges

Fri, April 22, 2:30 to 4:00pm PDT (2:30 to 4:00pm PDT), San Diego Convention Center, Floor: Upper Level, Room 8

Abstract

"The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted education systems around the world. Schools have been closed repeatedly for considerable period of time (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], the United Nations Children Fund [UNICEF], & the World Bank, 2020); remote teaching and learning were implemented in most countries, with the mediums and methods of delivery determined by local conditions and resources. Schools that have reopened are encountering extreme limitations to normal school operations due to the continued disruption and attempt to mitigate decreases in learning progress (UNESCO, 2020).

While a body of literature on the topic is emerging, most of these research initiatives concentrated on local and national situations. Until now, there has been a lack of internationally comparable first-hand information from schools, students, and teachers collected in a systematic, efficient, and scientific manner using the research methods and standards applied in international large-scale assessment. The Responses to Educational Disruption Survey (REDS) was initiated by IEA and UNESCO to fill this gap. This paper presents the motivation to conduct this study and the methods how data was collected. It details its significance, but also the challenges and limitations when conducting an international comparative large-scale study on an accelerated timeline in countries reflecting a wide variety of school systems and in times of school closures.

The REDS data collection was implemented between December 2020 to July 2021 in the following 11 countries: Burkina Faso, Denmark, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, the Russian Federation, Rwanda, Slovenia, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, and Uzbekistan. It thereby covered a wide set of countries from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Gulf region, and South America. REDS collected questionnaire data (both in online and paper format) from a total of 21,063 students, 15,004 teachers, and 1,581 principals. Student data were collected in eight countries, teacher data in ten countries, and school data in all eleven countries. Each national research center responsible for the administration of REDS provided national-level data on the conditions and measures implemented within each country. Using random probability samples and standardized data collection procedures, as well as rigorous data analysis methods, REDS aimed to deliver high-quality data and robust evidence on education during the pandemic. The study covered, in an unprecedented manner, cross-nationally comparable data on an extensive range of topics associated with the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on education by giving a voice to multiple stakeholders within the participating educational systems. It aimed to answer the overarching research question: How were teaching and learning affected by the disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how was this mitigated by the implemented measures across and within countries?

Due to the accelerated timeline and the fluid and unpredictable global context in which REDS was implemented, REDS data are subject to some limitations. No field trial and no translation verification were conducted, and some samples suffered threats on validity. The paper will present the approaches to how constraints should be highlighted throughout publications arising from REDS data analysis.
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