The Reverberations, After-Effects, And Repercussions Of Covid-19: Unmasking The Learning Gaps Plundering, Ravaging And Ruining Learners In Selected Zimbabwean Schools

The cumulative impact of pandemic-induced school disruptions and shutdowns has been unprecedented. Numerous reverberations, after-effects, and repercussions of COVID-19 devoured many learners. This led to countless learning gaps that plagued, ravaged, and ruined the students. This prompted this convergent parallel design-informed, mixed methods research that used a systems framework to unearth and present layered, multi-faceted results. These results divulged and revealed the complexities of the impacts of COVID-19 in plundering, ravaging, and ruining the lives of learners through learning gaps. Seven schools whose students’ performance in public examinations took a nosedive after COVID-19 were purposively sampled. Five teachers whose classes experienced a comparatively large decline in pupil performance, from each of the seven schools, participated in the research. Key findings unearthed are that students were being ravaged and ruined by learning gaps that include Test or knowledge competence gaps, stimulation or inspiration or enthusiasm gaps, social systems or environmental gaps, and others. These schools were caught by COVID-19 unprepared, flatfooted, and not ready for this kind of eventuality. The research concludes that there are long-term consequences of the reverberations, after-effects, and repercussions of COVID-19 that are too frightening if they are not addressed. The research recommends that schools should be capacitated so that they are ready to face exceptional circumstances that include pandemics, natural disasters, and other turbulent situations.