By REMI WEBB and AVA ALBICOCCO
For the first 3 quarters of this school year, JHS students had the choice to attend school on a hybrid model or as virtual learners. The majority was remote with 61% of students all virtual. This impacted their levels of engagement within the classroom.
Out of the 202 students who responded to the JerEcho survey, 58.9% of virtual learners reported that their overall participation has decreased this year when compared to years prior to COVID-19.
The reasons for this decrease in participation include distractions from devices, pets, loud family members, and the lack of interaction between teachers and classmates.
Some students are multitasking during their online classes, which decreases their engagement as well. Fully remote senior Barry Z. said, “My class participation decreased mainly because I am doing other things such as other homework, small projects, singing, or I’m just really not motivated to participate.”
Almost half of students who actually go into school responded that they feel more engaged and said it’s easier to participate while in person. Yet many in-person learners still struggle to stay focused. Approximately two thirds said that their participation has decreased because there are so few students attending school in person which changes the entire environment of the classroom, and 45.9% said that the teacher is too focused on the students at home. Some students reported that the desk guards are also a distraction.
This style of learning has impacted the students and their drive to speak up in class. Hybrid sophomore Fredi S. said, “When I am at home, I am more hesitant to answer because I am worried about being wrong, being talked over, and my computer possibly glitching.”
Fully remote senior Jacob S. reports not asking as many questions during class as he used to. He said, “I was not used to my teacher not being right in front of me.”
With slim participation and the classrooms almost empty, the school atmosphere has an immense impact on students’ states of mind. Some teachers make participation a system rather than a choice. Furthermore, teachers also have to balance their attention between the computer and the students in front of them. English teacher Ms. D’Antonio said, “Sometimes, if you’re focusing your attention on the camera, you turn around, and then the kids that are in the room may be on their phones or not doing what they are supposed to.”
Zoning out has become more frequent among students. Social worker Mr. Velez said, “In terms of attending their classes, I think students participate an equal amount, but I think they tune out more.”
Whether students are learning remotely or in person, the overall will to participate has decreased dramatically.
Hopefully participation for all learners will increase with the recent decision to do away with the hybrid model for the 4th quarter and instead have students change to fully remote or fully in-person.