“I miss my school!”: Examining primary and secondary school students’ social distancing and emotional experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

With the rapid spread of Covid-19, countries around the world implemented strict protocols ordering schools to close. As a result, educational institutions were forced to establish a new form of schooling by implementing emergency remote education. Learning from home during the Covid-19 pandemic brought numerous changes, challenges, and stressors to students’ daily lives. In this context, major concerns have been raised based on the reports of students’ negative experiences resulting from social distancing and isolation. Given the impact of Covid-19 on many aspects of students’ lives, in particular their social and school experiences, research that provides insights into the consequences of this health crisis for students’ well-being has become important. This study aims to explore students’ experiences of social distancing and its relation to their negative emotional experiences during Germany’s first Covid-19–related school closure. Findings indicate that both primary and secondary students missed their friends and classmates and that primary school students perceived higher levels of social distancing. However, a linear regression analysis indicated that the older the students were, the more negatively affected they were by social distancing. The implications of the study’s results and further lines of research are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
JournalProspects
Volume51
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)673-684
Number of pages12
ISSN0033-1538
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 10.2022
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).

    Research areas

  • Covid-19, Distance learning, Homeschooling, Social distancing, Students’ experiences