Impact of pandemic on STEM (Science,

Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)

learners

11-STEM Pasteur

Group 2

Andrade, Marion Sander C.

Decamos, Joyce B.

Gicaraya, Gizel E.

Mallosa, Christian Dave A.

Montulo, Gwen L.

Mueda, Jerianne C.

Pereyra, Charles Jandrei D.

Saquian, Rafael D.

Sugide, Xyzent John S.

Tabion, Richnie M.
 Chapter II

Review of Related Literature

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of

education systems in human history, affecting nearly 1.6 billion

learners in more than 200 countries. Closures of schools,

institutions and other learning spaces have impacted more than

94% of the world’s student population. This has brought far-

reaching changes in all aspects of our lives. Social distancing

and restrictive movement policies have significantly disturbed

traditional educational practices. Reopening of schools after

relaxation of restriction is another challenge with many new

standard operating procedures put in place.

Emerging research assessing the mental health implications of

COVID-19 has identified a heightened prevalence of moderate to

severe self-reported depressive and anxious symptomatology among

the general public reflecting the widespread effects of

uncertainty and health-related fears (Wang et al., 2020).

However, further research that investigates beyond the population

level is required to understand the individualized disruption of

lives and routines as a result of COVID-19, and its associated

the impact of academic disruptions on students, it is reasonable

to venture that students may experience reduced motivation toward

studies, increased pressures to learn independently, abandonment

of daily routines, and potentially higher rates of dropout as

direct consequences of these measures (Wickens, 2011).

To date, one published study has explored the impact of COVID-

19 on student education and well-being (Cao et al., 2020).

Approximately 25% of their sample reported experiencing anxiety

symptoms, which were positively correlated with increased

concerns about academic delays, economic effects of the pandemic,

and impacts on daily life. Furthermore, among the many student

surveys administered worldwide, one survey by YoungMinds reported

that 83% of young respondents agreed that the pandemic worsened

pre-existing mental health conditions, mainly due to school

closures, loss of routine, and restricted social connections

(YoungMinds, 2020).

Within a short span of the COVID-19 pandemic, many researchers

have shared their works on teaching and learning in different

ways. Several schools, colleges and universities have

discontinued face-to-face teachings. There is a fear of losing

2020 academic year or even more in the coming future. The need of
the hour is to innovate and implement alternative educational

system and assessment strategies (Pokhrel et al., 2021).

The unexpected ripple effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been

felt by students, parents, and educators all over the world, as

schools have been closed to cope with the global pandemic. During

these trying times, school programs aim to offer high-quality

education to all students as governments, frontline workers, and

health officials do everything they can to control the epidemic.

When schools around the country were forced to close suddenly to

help avoid the spread of COVID-19, students had to quickly move

from face-to-face classes to online teaching, distance learning,

blended learning, and homeschooling. According to the report,

over 65 percent of these program graduates were searching for or

had already obtained STEM internships and summer jobs, and over

75 percent were pursuing a STEM major or career. As a result of

the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these work opportunities have been

canceled, making it even more difficult for those pursuing STEM

to navigate the challenges of distance learning. Many students,

especially STEM students, have experienced psychological and

emotional distress at home, in their living spaces, preventing

them from participating productively. The best strategies for

online homeschooling have yet to be found (Petrie, 2020). The

such as accessibility, affordability, mobility, learning

pedagogy, life-long learning, and educational policy (Murgatrotd,

2020). Many developing countries, such as the Philippines, face

major difficulties in sustaining a secure Internet connection and

gaining access to digital devices.

Teachers and students/learners should be educated on how to

use different online educational tools, as the COVID-19 pandemic

has taught us. Teachers and students should be encouraged to

continue using online tools to enhance teaching and learning once

normal classes resume following the COVID-19 pandemic. One type

of class is particularly difficult to move online, lab classes.

Many courses in the STEM (technology, engineering, and

mathematics) fields—science, include lab or field classes as

practical components to an otherwise theoretical course.

Professors are now tasked with converting this experiential

learning which relies on the student’s ability to touch and see

and feel the lesson to a flat, remote interface. Students need to

leave university with a specific set of skills and expertise that

matches the degree they hold, and COVID-19 threatens to change

the meaning of a STEM degree. Even if students are allowed to go

into labs, not all students want to risk being there in person.

At some colleges, faculty, graduate students, and kitchen and

want to keep their jobs, they have to return to campus. Many

faculty, students, and staff are also struggling with childcare. 

At Arizona State University, labs that can’t easily be moved

online are happening in person. ASU required a negative test

result before students were allowed to return to dorms, and

developed an FDA-approved rapid saliva-based COVID-19 test,

provided free to students (Min Zeng et al., 2020)

The school says that it is regularly testing a

“statistically significant” percentage of the students, hoping to

keep tabs on the presence of the virus. Still, the reopening has

already received pushback from some faculty and staff,

who published an open letter to school administration on Medium,

saying that ASU’s policies were endangering school staff and that

outbreaks on campus could easily spread to the larger community

and vice versa, since many students live off-campus with family

and commute into school. 

Several students have been suspended for violating the

school’s COVID guidelines: "Everyone—including faculty, staff,

students, and visitors—is required to wear face coverings in

classrooms, labs, offices, and all ASU outdoor spaces (except

while eating). Students and employees are required to do a daily

health check through the ASU mobile app or healthcheck.asu.edu,

questions about any symptoms." Students can’t bring visitors into

the dorms or go to parties’ off-campus that doesn’t follow public

health guidelines since August 1, however, 1,330 cases have

been recorded at ASU.  Now that computer labs are closed and many

students are attending remotely, schools now also need to make

sure that all students have access to a computer and the

internet. The pandemic has brought out a lot of inequities. Many

colleges are expanding laptop loaning programs and adding wi-fi

hotspots if internet connectivity is a problem. Some lab classes

require specialized (and expensive) software, like ArcGIS or

AdobeSuite or R. These can require higher computing power than

most entry-level laptops have, so some schools are working to

allow students to log in to on-campus computers remotely,

allowing them to use the greater processing power to complete

their assignments (Madeleine Gregory, 2020).

Additionally, many students that rely on employment to

support their education have been affected by job losses during

the pandemic. There have also been fewer opportunities for

research experiences and internships as many labs were forced to

shut down.  

In the focus groups, some students expressed concern that

they would not be adequately prepared for subsequent semesters in

learning and not all students were able to learn remotely. There

is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has hit many higher

education institutions quite unprepared for online teaching and

assessment. The ability and creativity of university teachers and

staff to develop approaches quickly and innovatively to

implementing the distance learning process has been demonstrated.

In the coming months it will be necessary to strengthen the

technical equipment for distance learning and to increase the

confidence of all parties involved in student-centred teaching

methods. It is possible that students' performance in passing

exams, transition to higher years and in the duration of their

studies will deteriorate. Scientific outputs may also decrease

(Blanco V et al., 2020).

Conclusion
 In conclusion, there is no doubt that Covid-19 has a great

impact in education and especially on STEM learners. Moreover, E-

learning tools have played a crucial role during this pandemic,

helping schools and universities facilitate student learning

during the closure of universities and schools (Subedi et al.,

2020). While adapting to the new changes, staff and student

readiness needs to be gauged and supported accordingly. The

learners with a fixed mindset find it difficult to adapt and

adjust, whereas the learners with a growth mindset quickly adapt

to a new learning environment. There is no one-size-fits-all

pedagogy for online learning. There are a variety of subjects

with varying needs. Different subjects and age groups require

different approaches to online learning (Doucet et al., 2020).

Online learning also allows physically challenged students with

more freedom to participate in learning in the virtual

environment, requiring limited movement (Basilaia & Kvavadze,

2020). The lesson learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic is that

teachers and students/learners should be oriented on use of

different online educational tools. After the COVID-19 pandemic

when the normal classes resume, teachers and learners should be

encouraged to continue using such online tools to enhance

teaching and learning.