IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/idg/wpaper/fvwbhosbll62ri5ntztc.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Persistent and Gender-Unequal Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Student Outcomes in Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Léonard Moulin
  • Mara Soncin

Abstract

The learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ outcomes is likely to have lasting effects on which evidence is lacking. Using a differencein-differences design through a triple difference estimator, we identify the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on Italian students’ test scores in the two years following the COVID-19 outbreak. Our findings indicate a persistently negative effect on mathematics and reading scores for grade 5 and grade 8 students in 2021–22, two years after the pandemic began, despite a statistically significant recovery compared to the previous school year. Our analysis highlights the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on girls, leading to a decrease in their academic performance and an intensification of gender-based inequalities (with the exception of grade 8 reading). Our results also show that the pandemic had a greater adverse impact on the academic achievement of students who experienced more prolonged classroom closures.

Suggested Citation

  • Léonard Moulin & Mara Soncin, 2023. "Persistent and Gender-Unequal Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Student Outcomes in Italy," Working Papers 277, French Institute for Demographic Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:idg:wpaper:fvwbhosbll62ri5ntztc
    DOI: 10.48756/ined-dt-277.1023
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://archined.ined.fr/download/publication/FVWbhosBLL62Ri5NTztC/82e01488a9b63d75cb537c5bbbdb074a1699445328520.pdf
    File Function: Deposited file
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.48756/ined-dt-277.1023?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kenneth A. Couch & Robert W. Fairlie & Huanan Xu, 2022. "The evolving impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic on gender inequality in the US labor market: The COVID motherhood penalty," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(2), pages 485-507, April.
    2. Andreas Olden & Jarle Møen, 2022. "The triple difference estimator [Semiparametric difference-in-differences estimators]," The Econometrics Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 25(3), pages 531-553.
    3. Contini Dalit & Di Tommaso Maria Laura & Muratori Caterina & Piazzalunga Daniela & Schiavon Lucia, 2022. "Who Lost the Most? Mathematics Achievement during the COVID-19 Pandemic," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 22(2), pages 399-408, April.
    4. Contini, Dalit & Tommaso, Maria Laura Di & Mendolia, Silvia, 2017. "The gender gap in mathematics achievement: Evidence from Italian data," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 32-42.
    5. Battisti, Michele & Maggio, Giuseppe, 2023. "Will the last be the first? School closures and educational outcomes," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    6. Eric A. Hanushek & Ludger Woessmann, 2020. "The economic impacts of learning losses," OECD Education Working Papers 225, OECD Publishing.
    7. Bertoletti, Alice & Cannistrà, Marta & Soncin, Mara & Agasisti, Tommaso, 2023. "The heterogeneity of Covid-19 learning loss across Italian primary and middle schools," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    8. Jordy Meekes & Wolter H J Hassink & Guyonne Kalb, 2023. "Essential work and emergency childcare: identifying gender differences in COVID-19 effects on labour demand and supply," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 75(2), pages 393-417.
    9. Abel Brodeur & David Gray & Anik Islam & Suraiya Bhuiyan, 2021. "A literature review of the economics of COVID‐19," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(4), pages 1007-1044, September.
    10. Bastian A. Betthäuser & Anders M. Bach-Mortensen & Per Engzell, 2023. "A systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on learning during the COVID-19 pandemic," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 7(3), pages 375-385, March.
    11. Aparicio Fenoll, Ainoa, 2022. "The Uneven Effect of COVID School Closures: Parents in Teleworkable vs. Non-teleworkable Occupations," IZA Discussion Papers 15754, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sabina Issehnane & Léonard Moulin, 2024. "In the Eye of the Storm: the Disrupted Career Paths of Young People in the Wake of COVID-19," Working Papers 291, French Institute for Demographic Studies.
    2. Kuzmanic, Danilo & Valenzuela, Juan Pablo & Claro, Susana & Canales, Andrea & Cerda, Daniela & Undurraga, Eduardo A., 2023. "Socioeconomic disparities in the reopening of schools during the pandemic in Chile," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    3. Alderighi, Lorenzo & Ballatore, Rosario M. & Tonello, Marco, 2023. "Hidden drop-out: Secondary education (unseen) failure in pandemic times," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1293, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    4. Momoe Makino & Abu S. Shonchoy & Zaki Wahhaj, 2021. "Early Effects of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Children in Rural Bangladesh," Working Papers 2104, Florida International University, Department of Economics.
    5. Armillei, Francesco & Filippucci, Francesco & Fletcher, Thomas, 2021. "Did Covid-19 hit harder in peripheral areas? The case of Italian municipalities," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 42(C).
    6. Giulia Bettin & Isabella Giorgetti & Stefano Staffolani, 2024. "The impact of Covid-19 lockdown on the gender gap in the Italian labour market," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 1-33, March.
    7. Iza Gigauri & Mirela Panait & Simona Andreea Apostu & Lukman Raimi, 2022. "The Essence of Social Entrepreneurship through a Georgian Lens: Social Entrepreneurs’ Perspectives," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-19, June.
    8. Brodeur, Abel & Clark, Andrew E. & Fleche, Sarah & Powdthavee, Nattavudh, 2021. "COVID-19, lockdowns and well-being: Evidence from Google Trends," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    9. Borisova, Ekaterina & Gründler, Klaus & Hackenberger, Armin & Harter, Anina & Potrafke, Niklas & Schoors, Koen, 2023. "Crisis experience and the deep roots of COVID-19 vaccination preferences," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    10. Lalinsky, Tibor & Pál, Rozália, 2022. "Distribution of COVID-19 government support and its consequences for firm liquidity and solvency," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 305-335.
    11. Di Bartolomeo, Giovanni & D'Imperio, Paolo & Felici, Francesco, 2022. "The fiscal response to the Italian COVID-19 crisis: A counterfactual analysis," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    12. Olivier Chanel, 2022. "Impact of COVID‑19 Activity Restrictions on Air Pollution: Methodological Considerations in the Economic Valuation of the Long‑Term Effects on Mortality [Impact sur la pollution de l’air des restri," Working Papers hal-03778336, HAL.
    13. Valeria Pandolfini, 2021. "Fostering the professional capital of teachers in digital capabilities," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(12), pages 455-461, December.
    14. Lastauskas, Povilas & Proškutė, Aurelija & Žaldokas, Alminas, 2023. "How do firms adjust when trade stops?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 287-307.
    15. Brotherhood, Luiz & Cavalcanti, Tiago & Da Mata, Daniel & Santos, Cezar, 2022. "Slums and pandemics," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    16. Roberto Roson & Camille Van der Vorst, 2021. "The COVID crumbling of tourism in Andalusia: an assessment of economic and environmental consequences," Working Papers 2021: 18, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    17. Abu Bakkar Siddique & Kingsley E. Haynes & Rajendra Kulkarni & Meng-Hao Li, 2023. "Regional poverty and infection disease: early exploratory evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 70(1), pages 209-236, February.
    18. Nicholas Bloom & Philip Bunn & Paul Mizen & Pawel Smietanka & Gregory Thwaites, 2020. "The Impact of Covid-19 on Productivity," NBER Working Papers 28233, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Antonella D’Agostino & Francesco Schirripa Spagnolo & Nicola Salvati, 2022. "Studying the relationship between anxiety and school achievement: evidence from PISA data," Statistical Methods & Applications, Springer;Società Italiana di Statistica, vol. 31(1), pages 1-20, March.
    20. Afees A. Salisu & Idris A. Adediran & Rangan Gupta, 2021. "A Note on the COVID-19 Shock and Real GDP in Emerging Economies: A Counterfactual Analysis from the Threshold-Augmented Global Vector Autoregressive Model," Working Papers 202149, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:idg:wpaper:fvwbhosbll62ri5ntztc. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Karin Sohler (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://archined.ined.fr .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.