How do 11th and 12th grade students perceive school closures and homeschooling? According to a recent study, many are worried about their marks and career prospects.
The education economist Silke Anger and her team surveyed more than 1,000 young people in eight German federal states.
Regular Contact with the School is Essential for Homeschooling
The German Abitur exams are still on the doorstep in most federal states: This means the focus of the debate on the step-by-step reopening of schools in Germany is increasingly shifting to the final-year classes. How do pupils in 11th and 12th grade perceive the temporary school closures? How are they dealing with the situation and what support services do they receive from their schools? An online survey of more than 1,000 pupils from eight German federal states provides insight. Prof. Silke Anger, Chair of Economics of Education at the University of Bamberg, is significantly involved in the study as head of the research area "Education, Training and Employment Over the Life Course" at the Institute for Employment Research.
The challenge of homeschooling: contact with school is crucial
"The survey shows that homeschooling is quite a challenge, even for older students," says Silke Anger. This is because on average most young people spend very little time on school activities, less than four hours a day. Pupils who, according to their own statements, are only rarely provided with teaching materials invest the least amount of time. In addition, many young people are worried that school closures could affect their academic performance and negatively influence their professional future. The study concludes that not only intensive regular contact with the school, but also suitable digital teaching formats and tailored timetables are particularly important in order to increase pupils' learning activities.
The complete report on this study is available here.
This news was translated by Hannah Fischer