The Impact of COVID-19 in Brazil Through an Educational Neuroscience Lens: A Preliminary Study
<b>Background:</b> Educational neuroscience has made important contributions to show how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted schooling. In countries like Brazil, with significant educational inequality, the suspension of in-person classes worsened these disparities, as low-income families fac...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Brain Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/6/548 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1839654562989867008 |
|---|---|
| author | Camila G. Fonseca Camila L. L. Dias Marcus L. L. Barbosa Maria Julia Hermida Luiz Renato R. Carreiro Alessandra G. Seabra |
| author_facet | Camila G. Fonseca Camila L. L. Dias Marcus L. L. Barbosa Maria Julia Hermida Luiz Renato R. Carreiro Alessandra G. Seabra |
| author_sort | Camila G. Fonseca |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background:</b> Educational neuroscience has made important contributions to show how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted schooling. In countries like Brazil, with significant educational inequality, the suspension of in-person classes worsened these disparities, as low-income families faced difficulties accessing remote learning. <b>Methods:</b> This study evaluated executive functions (EF) and academic skills in reading, writing, and maths for 178 public school students from the first to ninth grades in São Paulo, Brazil, comparing them with pre-pandemic norms to assess possible differences. EF were assessed using the Hayling Test, Digit Span Task, and Verbal Fluency, while academic skills were measured by the School Performance Test II. To analyse differences between the sample of this study and the pre-pandemic normative samples, one-sample t-tests were performed. Due to the small sample size, segmented by school grade and age, the bootstrapping resampling method was used, and the effect size was measured with Cohen’s d. <b>Results:</b> A one-sample <i>t</i>-test showed significant differences between times, with lower post-pandemic performance in verbal fluency (9–14 years old), working memory (10–14 years old), and inhibitory control across all age groups. Writing skills were lower from the fifth to eighth grades and reading from the fourth to eight grades. Maths skills were lower in the fourth, eighth, and ninth grades. Better post-pandemic performance was seen in working memory (6 and 7 years old). <b>Conclusions:</b> Students in the upper grades of elementary school during the pandemic were most impacted by the suspension of in-person teaching, highlighting the importance of schooling and the need for recovery efforts at these levels. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c0cb3ba75d9f4be28c62b84b649ed891 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-c0cb3ba75d9f4be28c62b84b649ed8912025-06-25T13:34:57ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252025-05-0115654810.3390/brainsci15060548The Impact of COVID-19 in Brazil Through an Educational Neuroscience Lens: A Preliminary StudyCamila G. Fonseca0Camila L. L. Dias1Marcus L. L. Barbosa2Maria Julia Hermida3Luiz Renato R. Carreiro4Alessandra G. Seabra5Post-Graduation Program in Human Development Sciences, CCBS—Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Rua da Consolação, nº 930, São Paulo 01302-907, SP, BrazilPost-Graduation Program in Human Development Sciences, CCBS—Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Rua da Consolação, nº 930, São Paulo 01302-907, SP, BrazilPost-Graduation Program in Cultural Diversity and Social Inclusion, Feevale University, ERS-239, 2755, Novo Hamburgo 93525-075, RS, BrazilInstituto de Educación, Universidad Nacional de Hurlingham, Vergara 2222, Villa Tesei B1688, Provincia de Buenos Aires, ArgentinaPost-Graduation Program in Human Development Sciences, CCBS—Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Rua da Consolação, nº 930, São Paulo 01302-907, SP, BrazilPost-Graduation Program in Human Development Sciences, CCBS—Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Rua da Consolação, nº 930, São Paulo 01302-907, SP, Brazil<b>Background:</b> Educational neuroscience has made important contributions to show how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted schooling. In countries like Brazil, with significant educational inequality, the suspension of in-person classes worsened these disparities, as low-income families faced difficulties accessing remote learning. <b>Methods:</b> This study evaluated executive functions (EF) and academic skills in reading, writing, and maths for 178 public school students from the first to ninth grades in São Paulo, Brazil, comparing them with pre-pandemic norms to assess possible differences. EF were assessed using the Hayling Test, Digit Span Task, and Verbal Fluency, while academic skills were measured by the School Performance Test II. To analyse differences between the sample of this study and the pre-pandemic normative samples, one-sample t-tests were performed. Due to the small sample size, segmented by school grade and age, the bootstrapping resampling method was used, and the effect size was measured with Cohen’s d. <b>Results:</b> A one-sample <i>t</i>-test showed significant differences between times, with lower post-pandemic performance in verbal fluency (9–14 years old), working memory (10–14 years old), and inhibitory control across all age groups. Writing skills were lower from the fifth to eighth grades and reading from the fourth to eight grades. Maths skills were lower in the fourth, eighth, and ninth grades. Better post-pandemic performance was seen in working memory (6 and 7 years old). <b>Conclusions:</b> Students in the upper grades of elementary school during the pandemic were most impacted by the suspension of in-person teaching, highlighting the importance of schooling and the need for recovery efforts at these levels.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/6/548executive functioningacademic performancereadingwritingCOVID-19 pandemic |
| spellingShingle | Camila G. Fonseca Camila L. L. Dias Marcus L. L. Barbosa Maria Julia Hermida Luiz Renato R. Carreiro Alessandra G. Seabra The Impact of COVID-19 in Brazil Through an Educational Neuroscience Lens: A Preliminary Study Brain Sciences executive functioning academic performance reading writing COVID-19 pandemic |
| title | The Impact of COVID-19 in Brazil Through an Educational Neuroscience Lens: A Preliminary Study |
| title_full | The Impact of COVID-19 in Brazil Through an Educational Neuroscience Lens: A Preliminary Study |
| title_fullStr | The Impact of COVID-19 in Brazil Through an Educational Neuroscience Lens: A Preliminary Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Impact of COVID-19 in Brazil Through an Educational Neuroscience Lens: A Preliminary Study |
| title_short | The Impact of COVID-19 in Brazil Through an Educational Neuroscience Lens: A Preliminary Study |
| title_sort | impact of covid 19 in brazil through an educational neuroscience lens a preliminary study |
| topic | executive functioning academic performance reading writing COVID-19 pandemic |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/6/548 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT camilagfonseca theimpactofcovid19inbrazilthroughaneducationalneurosciencelensapreliminarystudy AT camilalldias theimpactofcovid19inbrazilthroughaneducationalneurosciencelensapreliminarystudy AT marcusllbarbosa theimpactofcovid19inbrazilthroughaneducationalneurosciencelensapreliminarystudy AT mariajuliahermida theimpactofcovid19inbrazilthroughaneducationalneurosciencelensapreliminarystudy AT luizrenatorcarreiro theimpactofcovid19inbrazilthroughaneducationalneurosciencelensapreliminarystudy AT alessandragseabra theimpactofcovid19inbrazilthroughaneducationalneurosciencelensapreliminarystudy AT camilagfonseca impactofcovid19inbrazilthroughaneducationalneurosciencelensapreliminarystudy AT camilalldias impactofcovid19inbrazilthroughaneducationalneurosciencelensapreliminarystudy AT marcusllbarbosa impactofcovid19inbrazilthroughaneducationalneurosciencelensapreliminarystudy AT mariajuliahermida impactofcovid19inbrazilthroughaneducationalneurosciencelensapreliminarystudy AT luizrenatorcarreiro impactofcovid19inbrazilthroughaneducationalneurosciencelensapreliminarystudy AT alessandragseabra impactofcovid19inbrazilthroughaneducationalneurosciencelensapreliminarystudy |