The Digital Shift: Unpacking the Post-Pandemic Effect of Online Learning on School Students’ Psychological Well-Being and Academic Performance

This study examined the impact of online education on the psychological well-being and academic performance of school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also investigated gender differences satisfaction of students with online learning. A total of N =120 school students (60 boys and 60 girls) of J.P.S. Academy and D.A.V. Public School, Assandh, Karnal district, Haryana were randomly selected to participate in the study. They were separated into four groups according to their degree of satisfaction with online learning high satisfaction (HS) and low satisfaction (LS) with a 50:50 ratio of genders represented in each group. The study employed a 2 x 2 factorial design to examine the role of gender and satisfaction with online learning on academic performance and psychological well-being. Psychological Well-being was assessed using the Psychological Well-being scale by Ryff, while the experiences of students regarding online learning were evaluated using a self-constructed questionnaire that contained items related to their experiences with the new type of education, accessibility, engagement, and overall satisfaction. Data was analysed using descriptive analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings revealed no gender differences in the academic performance or overall psychological well-being. Similarly, online learning did not have a significant effect on the academic outcome. Nevertheless, the significant interaction of gender and level of satisfaction was observed. However, the effect of online education on the measure of psychological well-being (Purpose in Life) had a significant effect, suggesting that students may have experienced difficulty in maintaining the sense of direction and motivation during the pandemic. Overall, although, academic performance was not adversely affected, but the findings highlight the importance of more focus enhancing the quality of online learning and student care services in future educational arrangements and academic support.