Digital-age education implications on student mental health, absenteeism, and citizenship, in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and the United States

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

Advancements in digital technologies have had various effects on education over the past few decades.
In response to social changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, digital education reforms accelerated dramatically in East Asia countries where educational systems are operated in more conservative and nationally focused contexts. Integrating digital technologies into teaching and learning has reshaped how knowledge is delivered, accessed, and applied. For example, in China, the government swiftly expanded its digital infrastructure, implementing nationwide online education platforms and policies to ensure continuity in learning during COVID-19. Although the rapid and widespread nature of digital education provided students with more opportunities, they also raised critical questions regarding what needs to be taught in schools to provide holistic support to students’ academic, civic, and mental health needs in East Asia's cultural and political contexts.

Digital education brings a mix of benefits and challenges to today’s classrooms. Integrating technology in education enhances accessibility and flexibility, enabling students from diverse backgrounds to learn from anywhere and at their own pace and supporting personalized learning. However, unequal access to technology also brings about significant challenges, which can widen educational inequities. Moreover, the shift towards digital learning environments may reduce face-to-face interactions, potentially affecting students’ social skills and mental well-being. For example, the Japanese government succeeded in implementing the digital education environment in almost all schools quite rapidly, but it now faces record high school absenteeism and serious bullying.

The papers in this panel analyze the origins, mediating roles, and pedagogical implications of digital-age education on students' academic outcomes, conceptions of identity, and mental health. Using case studies from East Asia and the United States, the studies aim to (1) discover how challenges in student performance, student health, and curriculum formation are confronted in regions where significant discussions of education reform are occurring and (2) illuminate the cross-cutting global policy trends in digital-age education.

The first paper examines the impact of digital education on the mental health of K-12 students in China and the United States, using a mixed-methods approach that includes data analysis and interviews. It explores how the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to online learning have affected student mental health, engagement, and socialization in both countries. Through policy analysis, infrastructure assessment, and surveys on student experiences, the paper investigates how differences in digital education affect educational equity, access, and quality. Previous studies and reports from organizations such as the OECD, Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21), and national education departments provide a broader context for understanding the digital transformation in education. The study concludes with policy recommendations for optimizing digital education while safeguarding student well-being, offering a framework for educators and policymakers to develop resilient and supportive digital learning environments.

The second paper addresses the background reason for surging absenteeism worldwide, especially in Japan and the United States, where school absenteeism is surging in the countries, with a quantitative analysis. It is also said that the number of school absenteeism is growing in other countries, making it valuable to show to what extent the increase of school absenteeism after the pandemic is spreading around the world. Surging school absenteeism is undesirable since it has a short and long-term negative impact on students' education achievements. However, it is still unclear what caused the rapid increase after COVID-19. Additionally, surging school absenteeism also raises the question of whether we should keep the traditional face-to-face school education system under the quickly expanding digital education. Therefore, while focusing on the impact of COVID-19 and digital education on parents' and students' attitudes toward the current school system, this study compares the current situation of school absenteeism around the world and more deeply investigates the causes of why school absenteeism has surged after the pandemic in California using the administrative data.

The third paper draws upon curriculum theory to determine the elements of national and global citizenship emphasized in Hong Kong’s 2021 National Security Education (NSE) curriculum for secondary schools. Hong Kong’s identity as a global city with a colonial past creates challenges in balancing national pride with global engagement. This paper aims to explore whether the newly prioritized state goal of fostering national citizenship is complementary or divergent from the historical, educational objective of communicating global citizenship to Hong Kong students. The study also examines how digital literacy is integrated into the curriculum as a tool for balancing nationalistic education with access to global perspectives. The authors do so by qualitatively analyzing official curriculum documents, textbooks, and societal attitudes, including those from teachers, parents, students, and regional scholars. Moreover, global citizenship education (GCE) strategies are evaluated to consider how cultural exchanges, project-based learning, and multilingualism are adapted to the framework of the NSE curriculum. Given the historical diversity and debates concerning Hong Kong's identity, such findings are relevant to understanding how these discussions have transformed with the incorporation of digital technologies and accessibility to online social discourse.

By evaluating the impact of digital-age education on K-12 curriculum and student outcomes in East Asia and the U.S., this panel hopes to explore how the traditional education systems in East Asia are adapting to create opportunities or mediate key educational challenges of a more interconnected and digitally driven world, especially in highly centralized educational contexts such as China and Japan. Simultaneously, the role of educators is evolving from the traditional transmission of knowledge to becoming facilitators who guide students in navigating technology-enhanced educational landscapes. This transition necessitates robust support systems for educators, empowering them with the necessary skills and resources to foster effective online learning environments. Policymakers and educators must balance the benefits of digital tools with the need to foster mental, social, and civic growth. By understanding the roots of these changes and analyzing the role of digital literacy in both national and global contexts, we hope this panel serves as a foundation for creating a more equitable and inclusive learning environment across the globe.

Sub Unit

• East Asia SIG

Chair

• Christine Min Wotipka, Stanford University

Individual Presentations

• Impact of digital transformation on K-12 student mental health across educational systems: A comparative study between China and the United States - Ziyue wang, Stanford University

• Is school absenteeism surging, and why? A global analysis and case studies of Japan and the United States - Yuta Meguro, stanford university

• Balancing national identity and global citizenship: Hong Kong civic education in the digital age - Isabelle R Coloma, Stanford Graduate School of Education; Xiangqian Yu, Stanford University

Discussant

• Jennifer H Adams, Johns Hopkins University, School of Education