The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 had a profound impact on education in Iceland and worldwide. Schools were closed, new teaching methods were adopted, and teachers and students worked from home. This impacted students’ well-being and their education. Upper-secondary schools in Iceland offer a variety of study programs defined at different qualification levels; students enter these schools at age 16. The academic track aims at preparing students for university education, vocational training prepares students for regulated professions, and general upper secondary education for those who did not meet the requirements for first two tracks (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2011). The students are a diverse group with different needs who were effect by the pandemic in different ways and to a different degree. In the US the pandemic widened achievement gaps, increased drop-outs, and impacted the health and well-being of students (Dorn et al., 2021); the same might be true elsewhere.

Anxiety among adolescents has increased in recent years (Thorisdottir et al., 2017) and it is likely that disruption in education and life in general during the pandemic may have amplified this problem. Some studies revealed that students experienced severe anxiety related to the pandemic (Ningsih et al., 2020; Thahir et al., 2021), while others found a decrease in anxiety among students during the pandemic (Ferraro et al., 2020). An Icelandic study found that although both boys and girls were negatively affected by the pandemic, this negative impact was more pronounced in girls (Halldórsdóttir et al., 2021). The same gender difference was found by Magson et. al. (2021); that is, an increase in depression symptoms and anxiety and an decrease in life satisfaction from before the pandemic through two months into it. Females were more likely to feel those ill effects.

A longitudinal study (Magson et al., 2021) showed that not being able to see friends, participate in extra-curricular activities, or attend social events during the pandemic was a source of distress. Several other studies on student well-being during this period showed that students missed having face-to-face communication with their schoolmates (Esposito et al., 2021; Niemi og Kousa, 2020; Pelikan o.fl., 2021; Sofianidis o.fl., 2021). Others indicated that student communication during lessons did not decrease, and that new technology may have changed the way young people communicate (Ferraro et al., 2020).

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of upper-secondary school students in Iceland, with a focus on gender differences and the difference between students according to their study program and an emphasis on students with low academic achievement.  

An online questionnaire was administered to students in four upper-secondary schools in the spring semester of 2021. Three of these were comprehensive schools, offering both academic tracks and vocational training, and the fourth was a traditional academic school (grammar school). The number of participants was 1,306, and of those 55% were women. About 59% were on an academic track, 20% were in vocational training, and 16% were in general upper secondary education (only offered in the comprehensive schools) for those who did not meet the academic requirements for the first two tracks. The rest of the group responded to the question or were in a special program for students with disabilities.

The findings of the study indicate that most students had good support from parents and friends, and generally perceived online teaching as effective. Students in general upper secondary education received more support from parents than from other students. Almost half the students experienced increased workloads, but this was far more common for students on the academic track than in other groups. Surprisingly, the majority reported improved progress in their studies, but the students on the academic track were less likely to report that. About half of the students experienced less anxiety with distance learning, but almost a quarter reported more anxiety. Female students were more likely to feel anxious than their male counterparts, but there was a little difference based on study tracks. However, the social aspect of remote learning was seen as challenging. About half the students reported feeling lonelier; this was more common for females than males and for students on the academic track compared to other groups. About half indicated feeling good about returning to traditional learning when schools finally reopened, but a quarter did not share this feeling. Females were keener to attend in-person on campus than males, as were students on the academic track compared to students in general upper secondary education. This topic needs to be further explored. It is important to understand the effects on different groups of students to identify and develop adequate and appropriate support. Preliminary results indicate that females were more effected than males and students on academic tracks compare to those in vocational training and those in general education for students with low academic achievement. The support from school and parents seems to have made this experience better than expected for the group with lower academic achievement, a group that many consider especially vulnerable when schools closed.

Dorn, E., Hancock, B., Sarakatsannis, J., & Viruleg, E. (2021, 27. júlí). COVID-19 and education: The lingering effects of unfinished learning. McKinsey. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/covid-19-and-education-the-lingering-effects-of-unfinished-learning Esposito, S., Giannitto, N., Squarcia, A., Neglia, C., Argentiero, A., Minichetti, P., Cotugno, N.,& Principi, N. (2021). Development of psychological problems among adolescents during school closures because of the COVID-19 lockdown phase in Italy: A cross-sectional survey. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2020.628072 Ferraro, F. V., Ambra, F. I., Aruta, L., & Iavarone, M. L. (2020). Distance learning in the COVID-19 era: Perceptions in Southern Italy. Education Sciences, 10(12), 355. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10120355 Halldorsdottir,T.,Thorisdottir, I.E., Meyers, C.C.A., Asgeirsdottir, B.B., Kristjansson, A.L., Valdimarsdottir, H.B., Allegrante, J.P., & Sigfusdottir,I.D. (2021). Adolescent well‐being amid the COVID‐19 pandemic: Are girls struggling more than boys? JCPP Advances, e12027. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcv2.12027HALLDORSDOTTIRETAL.-11of11 Magson N.R., Freeman J..YA., Rapee, R.M., Richardson, C.E., Oar, E.L., & Fardouly, J. (2021) Risk and protective factors for prospective changes in adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Youth Adolesc, 50:44–57 Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. (2011). The Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for Upper Secondary Schools – General Section. https://www.government.is/library/01-Ministries/Ministry-of-Education/Curriculum/adskr_frsk_ens_2012.pdf Niemi, H. M., & Kousa, P. (2020). A case study of students’ and teachers’ perceptions in a Finnish high school during the COVID pandemic. International Journal of Technology in Education and Science, 4(4), 352–369. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijtes.v4i4.167 Ningsih, S., Yandri, H., Sasferi, N., & Juliawati, D. (2020). An analysis of junior high school students’ learning stress levels during the COVID-19 outbreak: Review of gender differences. Psychocentrum Review, 2(2), 69–76. https://doi.org/10.26539/pcr.22321 Pelikan, E. R., Lüftenegger, M., Holzer, J., Korlat, S., Spiel, C., & Schober, B. (2021). Learning during COVID-19: The role of self-regulated learning, motivation, and procrastination for perceived competence. Zeitschrift Für Erziehungswissenschaft, 24(2), 393–418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11618-021-01002-x Sofianidis, A., Meletiou-Mavrotheris, M., Konstantinou, P., Stylianidou, N., & Katzis, K. (2021). Let students talk about emergency remote teaching experience: Secondary students’ perceptions on their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Education Sciences, 11, 268. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11060268 Thahir, A., Sulastri, Bulantika, S. Z., & Novita, T. (2021). Gender differences on COVID-19 related anxiety among students. Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, 36(1), 71–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.33824/PJPR.2021.36.1.05 Thorisdottir, I. E., Asgeirsdottir, B. B., Sigurvinsdottir, R., Allegrante, J. P., & Sigfusdottir, I. D. (2017). The increase in symptoms of anxiety and depressed mood among Icelandic adolescents: time trend between 2006 and 2016. The European Journal of Public Health, 27(5), 856-861.