Volume 26, Issue 1 (4-2026)
Social Welfare Quarterly 2026, 26(1): 97-127 |
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Vameghi M, Saatchi M, Takaffoli M, Ahmadi S, Karimzadeh Ghamsari M, Ashour M, et al . (2026). Online Education Outcomes Two Years After the COVID-19 Epidemic in Iran. Social Welfare Quarterly. 26(1), 97-127. doi:10.32598/refahj.26.100.5
URL: http://refahj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-4499-en.html
URL: http://refahj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-4499-en.html
Meroe Vameghi 
, Mohammad Saatchi , Marzieh Takaffoli , Sina Ahmadi , Mansoureh Karimzadeh Ghamsari , Maryam Ashour , Razieh Lak , Hajar Balavi , Giti Bahrami *
, Mohammad Saatchi , Marzieh Takaffoli , Sina Ahmadi , Mansoureh Karimzadeh Ghamsari , Maryam Ashour , Razieh Lak , Hajar Balavi , Giti Bahrami *
Abstract: (907 Views)
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown measures, including widespread school closures, fundamentally transformed educational systems worldwide. This study aimed to assess the educational status of children aged 7–18 during the third year of the pandemic in Iran.
Method: A household survey was conducted using multistage cluster sampling among children and their families residing in Tehran and Karaj. Data were collected via a researcher-developed questionnaire, administered separately for two age groups: 7–14 and 15–18 years. The instrument captured two main domains: (1) demographic characteristics of the child and family, and (2) variables related to educational consequences of the pandemic. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to model independent predictors of educational disruption.
Findings: Data from 2,878 children and adolescents were analyzed, comprising 2,057 children (71.5%) aged 7–14 and 821 adolescents (28.5%) aged 15–18. The overall prevalence of out-of-school children was 8.4% (95% CI: 7.3–9.3%). Nearly 57% of participants experienced a significant decline in learning quality following the pandemic. Adolescents aged 15–18 had 1.92 times higher odds of being out of school compared to younger children (7–14). Boys exhibited 2.5 times higher risk than girls, and Afghan children faced substantially higher odds (OR = 12.7) relative to their Iranian counterparts. Additionally, children from families with an unemployed, intermittently employed, or retired head of household were at significantly greater risk of school dropout than those with employed heads.
Discussion: Two years into the pandemic, Iran’s virtual education infrastructure continues to suffer from notable deficiencies in both quantity and quality. The pandemic has adversely affected both school attendance and learning outcomes for a considerable proportion of children. Future interventions should address not only pandemic-related disruptions but also the pre-existing socioeconomic and structural barriers to educational participation and learning achievement among vulnerable children.
Method: A household survey was conducted using multistage cluster sampling among children and their families residing in Tehran and Karaj. Data were collected via a researcher-developed questionnaire, administered separately for two age groups: 7–14 and 15–18 years. The instrument captured two main domains: (1) demographic characteristics of the child and family, and (2) variables related to educational consequences of the pandemic. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to model independent predictors of educational disruption.
Findings: Data from 2,878 children and adolescents were analyzed, comprising 2,057 children (71.5%) aged 7–14 and 821 adolescents (28.5%) aged 15–18. The overall prevalence of out-of-school children was 8.4% (95% CI: 7.3–9.3%). Nearly 57% of participants experienced a significant decline in learning quality following the pandemic. Adolescents aged 15–18 had 1.92 times higher odds of being out of school compared to younger children (7–14). Boys exhibited 2.5 times higher risk than girls, and Afghan children faced substantially higher odds (OR = 12.7) relative to their Iranian counterparts. Additionally, children from families with an unemployed, intermittently employed, or retired head of household were at significantly greater risk of school dropout than those with employed heads.
Discussion: Two years into the pandemic, Iran’s virtual education infrastructure continues to suffer from notable deficiencies in both quantity and quality. The pandemic has adversely affected both school attendance and learning outcomes for a considerable proportion of children. Future interventions should address not only pandemic-related disruptions but also the pre-existing socioeconomic and structural barriers to educational participation and learning achievement among vulnerable children.
Type of Study: orginal |
Received: 2025/07/20 | Accepted: 2026/05/5 | Published: 2026/05/31
Received: 2025/07/20 | Accepted: 2026/05/5 | Published: 2026/05/31
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