The status of learning at home during the COVID-19 pandemic: Experiences from two urban informal settlements

• In Event: Adolescents’ Learning During COVID-19: Lessons Learnt in the Utilization of Technology during Emergencies

Proposal

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, about 1.6 billion learners were affected by the school closures with 23.8 million at risk of dropping out of school. Almost half of those at risk of not returning to school came from South and West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Evidence showed that inequalities in access to online and non-online learning resources such as television and radio were a key challenge, with less than half of households in low and middle-income countries having access to the Internet. Parents could not support learning at home because of low literacy levels. Child abuse cases also increased during this period. This study sought to assess the status of learning at home and the challenges faced by adolescents and their parents in urban informal settlements – who were already marginalized before the pandemic – during the school closures. The study utilized a mixed-method approach. A total of 370 adolescents in secondary school at form two level were included in the quantitative component, with an additional 64 adolescents and their parents interviewed qualitatively. The analysis for the quantitative data included the computation of frequencies and percentages on the key indicators stratified by gender and type of school. Qualitative interviews were transcribed verbatim and themes of interest were coded using NVivo software. The findings showed that about 82% of the households owned television, 81% basic phones, 68% smartphones, 50% radios, and 6% computers. About 24% and 13% of the adolescents individually owned a working smartphone or basic phone respectively and 56% of them had access to internet connectivity. About 67% of adolescents with access to a TV tuned in to educational television programs; 51% with computers, smartphones, and tablets accessed online resources; 45% with access to a radio accessed radio education programs; and 54% with internet access used online study resources. The preferred modes of study by adolescents during the school closures were: on their own (87%); educational TV programs (57%); with peers (55%); online classes (33%); radio programs (32%); educational mobile phone apps (27%); and remedial classes (8%). Adolescents received learning support from their mothers (85%), fathers (53%), and siblings (34%). Adolescents also reported experiencing emotional abuse (28%), physical abuse (7%), child labor (7%), neglect (5%), and sexual abuse (3%). Qualitative data showed that parents were willing to support their children but lacked the digital and literacy skills to do so effectively. In conclusion, the study highlighted that ownership of electronic and digital resources does not necessarily translate to learning and thus the need to tackle the key barriers to the utility of technology for learning. In the same light, using a mix of remote learning strategies would ensure that more learners are reached. Also, parental involvement is key in ensuring continued learning at home during crisis, and therefore there is a need for initiatives that equip them with the skills to support their children effectively. In addition to the academic challenges, there is a need to be cognizant of the psychosocial well-being of parents and their children during emergencies.

Authors

• Nelson Gichuhi Muhia, African Population and Health Research Center APHRC

• Benta A Abuya, African Population And Health Research Center

• Maurice Mutisya, Zizi Afrique Foundation