Molly McEwen - How has COVID-19 impacted the engagement of children with the school system in the UK

In this episode of the Meliora Podcast Student Research Symposium we are joined by Philosophy undergraduate Molly McEwen to discuss her dissertation "How has COVID-19 impacted the engagement of children with the school system in the UK".This research sought to understand the lived experiences of teaching staff in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic, as existing research focuses mainly on parents' experiences or has analysed the impact of the pandemic on education through quantitative means. The main aim was to recognize the value in the perceptions and perspectives of the interviewees, as they faced the reality of trying to re-engage young people in the wake of the pandemic.  The most interesting aspect of the collected data was that the children most affected in terms of attainment, behaviour and social skills were those who missed transitional stages of their education. A common view amongst  participants was that pupils with additional needs or from disadvantaged economic backgrounds were disproportionately impacted when compared to their peers.Rudling et al. (2023) . Education and Equity in Times of Crisis: Learning, Engagement and Support | SpringerLinkTracey et al. (2022) The Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Children’s socio-emotional well-being and Attainment during the Reception Year. Education Endowment Foundation. EEF-School-Starters.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net) Education Endowment Foundation. 2022. The Impact of COVID-19 on Learning: A Review of the Evidence. Impact_of_Covid_on_Learning.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)Education Policy Institute. 2020. Preventing the disadvantage gap from increasing during and after the Covid-19 pandemic - Education Policy Institute (epi.org.uk)Episode guest: Molly McEwenEpisode host: Prof Simon KempEpisode editor: Libby KaleEngage