It’s no secret that the pandemic has interrupted learning for children across the world. Learning gaps occur when children are away from school for too long, and those gaps certainly happened over the last 18 months. But according to a new study, many teachers feel that there is a way to offset those gaps through resources like one-on-one instruction and supplemental learning.

BYJU’S FutureSchool commissioned The Harris Poll to conduct a survey among 501 pre-kindergarten to 12th-grade teachers across the U.S. who taught remote and in-person classes during the 2020-2021 school year and recently revealed its findings from the “Teacher Survey on Bridging the Learning Gap.” The results should help parents breathe a sigh of relief: most teachers think that supplemental learning can help close the learning gap that occurred while kids were home from school during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In fact, nearly 90 percent of the teachers think parents should consider using one-on-one supplemental learning to enhance their child’s in-class learning and at-home learning. This is partly due to the one-on-one learning children receive in these classes, and many teachers (83%) reported that this type of learning provides a richer learning experience for students than classroom instruction alone.

“We are really pleased that the data reveals a positive perception among educators of one-on-one supplemental learning as a viable solution to combat learning loss–and enough to recommend it to parents for a host of reasons,” says Prateek Ranjan, Head of North America at BYJU’s FutureSchool in the official press release. 

The teachers in the poll also felt that one-on-one instruction is highly beneficial to students struggling with subjects like math (84%), reading/language arts (80%) and science (62%) and 90% recommended that parents should consider one-on-one supplemental learning programs to enhance their children’s in-class learning.

Take a look at some of the other findings below:

  • Over 8 in 10 believe that supplemental learning programs providing enrichment exercises can mitigate the Covid-19 learning gap (84%) and prevent learning gaps in general (84%). 
  • Almost 9 in 10 favor one-on-one supplemental learning programs (89%), and over three-quarters are likely to recommend them as part of a comprehensive learning curriculum (76%).
  • Nearly all view one-on-one instruction as critical to students’ ability to learn and grasp concepts they may otherwise struggle with (90%), and the majority think parents should consider one-on-one supplemental learning programs to fill gaps in their children’s learning rather than holding their child back (84%). 
  • Over 4 in 5 believe one-on-one supplemental learning provides a richer learning experience than classroom instruction alone (83%).

And while teachers believe learning gaps can be overcome, time and resources are key to helping students reach their full potential. Slightly more than half (57%) would agree that learning gaps are typically overcome once students are back in school, regardless of whether they have supplemental learning. But teachers overwhelmingly believe learning gaps, which normally occur after extended breaks but became more pronounced due to the pandemic, can be reduced through supplemental learning (91%). Over 9 in 10 agree that the lack of resources and time to engage in one-on-one learning hampers students’ ability to get the individualized attention to reach their full potential (93%). Still, they highly recommend that parents consider tutoring (80%) and one-on-one supplemental learning (78%) outside of the classroom to help minimize learning gaps.

BYJU’S FutureSchool is here to help. As an interactive learning platform that offers education programs on coding, math, and music designed for students ages 6-18, children receive personalized attention with live access to a teacher in a one-on-one setting and engaging hands-on activities. Click here to book a FREE trial with BYJU’S FutureSchool.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY:The survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of BYJU’s FutureSchool between August 13-19, 2021 among 501 pre-kindergarten to 12th grade teachers* (defined as adults ages 18+ in the US who are employed full-time as teachers in public or private schools). Data were weighted where necessary by school level, community type, region, and student enrollment to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Respondents for this survey were selected among panel members who have agreed to participate in surveys. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to be invited to participate, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. *comprised of pre-K/elementary (63%), middle (24%), and high school (22%).

To view the full executive summary of this study, please click here

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