Experiences and consequences of remote schooling during the Covid-19 pandemic for children and youth in the Nordic countries: a scoping review

Abstract

Between March 2020 and March 2022, the Covid-19 pandemic led to societal lockdowns and school closures worldwide. The length of school closures varied from a few weeks to many months. We summarise the experiences and consequences of remote schooling during the pandemic on children and youth in the Nordic countries. We conducted a systematic scoping review, including longitudinal, qualitative and mixed-methods studies. The methods involved predetermined selection criteria, an extensive literature search, independent screening of references and a narrative summary of findings. We included 20 studies (in 21 reports), from Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. There were 7 longitudinal, 7 qualitative and 6 mixed-methods studies. The studies covered primary, lower and upper secondary education. The studies that collected data at the beginning of the pandemic in spring 2020, when most schools in the Nordic countries had been closed for a few weeks, showed variations in how children and youth experienced remote schooling. Many students (and teachers) experienced subjective learning gaps. Lower well-being was reported among students on all educational levels during the period of remote schooling, although some students thrived in this period. Factors that might predispose children and youth for negative consequences of the pandemic are socio-economic background, immigrant background and learning difficulties. The extensive shift to remote schooling for children and youth during the pandemic yielded important consequences that should be considered in the preparation for future pandemics or similar crises.