Inequalities in student learning and screen time due to COVID-19: Evidence from Japan

• Published in: Journal of the Japanese and international economies Vol. 71; p. 101304
• Main Authors: Nishihata, Masaya, Kobayashi, Yohei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.03.2024
• Subjects: COVID-19; Educational inequalities; Learning time; Screen time; COVID-19; Screen time; Learning time; I24; Educational inequalities; J24; I28
• ISSN: 0889-1583; 1095-8681
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jjie.2023.101304

•School closures decrease student learning time and increase their screen time.•These adverse effects are heterogeneous by household and student characteristics.•Live online classes may work depending on student achievement and age.•Most adverse effects of school closures on time use are not persistent for a year.•Single-parent elementary pupils may be adversely affected even after schools reopen. We examine the impact of COVID-19-related school closures on student learning and screen time. We find that between January 2020 (pre-COVID-19) and May 2020, as the length of a COVID-19-related school closure increased, there was a decrease in learning time and an increase in screen time. These adverse effects tend to be more pronounced for students in low-income households, low academic achievers, and elementary school students living in single-parent households. Moreover, these adverse effects might have persisted until January 2021 for elementary school students in single-parent households. On average, while live online classes might mitigate the effects of decreased learning time for junior high school students, that effect is not found for low academic achievers.