TY - JOUR

T1 - Home-Learning During COVID-19

T2 - The Psychological Adjustment of Minority and Majority Adolescents

AU - Paizan, Madalina-Alexandra

AU - Benbow, Alison E. F.

AU - Aumann, Lara

AU - Titzmann, Peter F.

N1 - Funding information: We have no known conflict of interest to disclose. Authors did not come from or self-identify as belonging to the ethnic minority groups that participated in this study

PY - 2022/1

Y1 - 2022/1

N2 - The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting infringements of day-to-day life have affected families through school closures and home-learning. Yet, little research investigated howadolescents and their families could be supported during this time. Our two-wave study had threeaims. First, we examined life satisfaction and academic self-efficacy trajectories among ethnic minorityand majority adolescents. Second, we considered the role of the home learning environment (learningconditions and parental involvement) in explaining ethnic status group differences. Third, we studiedpandemic-related familial factors that contributed to positive home learning environments. The samplecomprised 121 ethnic minority (Mage = 14.04; SD = 1.25; 53% female) and 105 ethnic majority adolescents(Mage = 14.36; SD = 1.25; 59% female) in Germany. Results of repeated measures analyses of covariances(ANCOVAs) showed distinct trajectories in adolescents’ adjustment (Time × Ethnic status group interaction:η 2 p=.02 for academic self-efficacy and η 2 p =.03 for life satisfaction). Whereas ethnic minorityadolescents reported stable academic self-efficacy and a decrease in life satisfaction, ethnic majorityadolescents reported stable life satisfaction and an increase in academic self-efficacy. Accounting forlearning conditions reduced the differences between minority and majority adolescents to nonsignificance.Parental involvement did not explain these differences, although it was itself important for adjustmentoutcomes in both groups. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that good student–teacher communication,a positive family climate and fathers’ short-time work contributed to the home learning environment.Findings highlight the decisive role of the family context during home-learning and the importance oflearning conditions in overcoming educational disparities

AB - The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting infringements of day-to-day life have affected families through school closures and home-learning. Yet, little research investigated howadolescents and their families could be supported during this time. Our two-wave study had threeaims. First, we examined life satisfaction and academic self-efficacy trajectories among ethnic minorityand majority adolescents. Second, we considered the role of the home learning environment (learningconditions and parental involvement) in explaining ethnic status group differences. Third, we studiedpandemic-related familial factors that contributed to positive home learning environments. The samplecomprised 121 ethnic minority (Mage = 14.04; SD = 1.25; 53% female) and 105 ethnic majority adolescents(Mage = 14.36; SD = 1.25; 59% female) in Germany. Results of repeated measures analyses of covariances(ANCOVAs) showed distinct trajectories in adolescents’ adjustment (Time × Ethnic status group interaction:η 2 p=.02 for academic self-efficacy and η 2 p =.03 for life satisfaction). Whereas ethnic minorityadolescents reported stable academic self-efficacy and a decrease in life satisfaction, ethnic majorityadolescents reported stable life satisfaction and an increase in academic self-efficacy. Accounting forlearning conditions reduced the differences between minority and majority adolescents to nonsignificance.Parental involvement did not explain these differences, although it was itself important for adjustmentoutcomes in both groups. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that good student–teacher communication,a positive family climate and fathers’ short-time work contributed to the home learning environment.Findings highlight the decisive role of the family context during home-learning and the importance oflearning conditions in overcoming educational disparities

KW - Adolescence

KW - Covid-19

KW - Longitudinal comparative research

KW - School closures

KW - Well-being

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85122377785&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1037/spq0000489

DO - 10.1037/spq0000489

M3 - Article

VL - 37

SP - 75

EP - 84

JO - School Psychology

JF - School Psychology

SN - 2578-4218

IS - 1

ER -