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Online Education Outcomes Two Years After the COVID-19 Epidemic in Iran
Meroe Vameghi , Mohammad Saatchi , Marzieh Takaffoli , Sina Ahmadi , Mansoureh Karimzadeh Ghamsari , Maryam Ashour , Razieh Lak , Hajar Balavi , Giti Bahrami *
Abstract:   (40 Views)
Introduction:  In March 2020, a global pandemic of COVID-19  was declared. The pandemic and lockdown measures, including school closures, changed the education system worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the educational situation of children in the third year of the pandemic. Method: This household survey employed multistage cluster sampling to assess children aged 7-18 and their families in Tehran and Karaj. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire for individuals aged 7-14 and 15-18. Two separate components were assessed: the demographic attributes of the child and the family, and variables related to the educational consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to model independent variables. Findings: Data from 2,878 children and adolescents, 2,057 children (71.5%) aged 7-14, and 821 adolescents (28.5%) aged 15-18 were analyzed. The overall prevalence of out-of-school children in our study was 8.4% (95% CI: 7.3-9.3%). Approximately 57% of the children's learning quality declined or decreased significantly after the pandemic. The odds ratio for out-of-school 15- to 18-year-olds was 1.92 times that of 7- to 14-year-olds. Boys had a 2.5 times higher risk than girls, and Afghan children faced 12.7 times higher odds in comparison with Iranian children. Children with an unemployed, intermittently employed, or retired head of family had greater odds of being school dropouts than those with a working head of family. Discussion: Overall, the findings of this study indicate that two years after the pandemic, the country’s virtual education infrastructure remains vulnerable to shortcomings in both quantity and quality. The pandemic has affected school attendance and the quality of learning for many children, as two of the most important aspects of child well-being. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the rising trend of school dropouts, future actions should focus not only on pandemic-related factors but also on pre-existing causes of dropout and learning challenges among children, particularly the economic conditions of families.
Article number: 4
Keywords: Distance Education, Student Dropouts, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, disparity, Iran
     
Type of Study: orginal |
Received: 2025/07/20 | Accepted: 2026/05/5
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