Fondazione GRINS
Growing Resilient,
Inclusive and Sustainable
Galleria Ugo Bassi 1, 40121, Bologna, IT
C.F/P.IVA 91451720378
Finanziato dal Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR), Missione 4 (Infrastruttura e ricerca), Componente 2 (Dalla Ricerca all’Impresa), Investimento 1.3 (Partnership Estese), Tematica 9 (Sostenibilità economica e finanziaria di sistemi e territori).
Open Access
This paper investigates how Italian upper secondary schools reorganized their teaching and organizational practices during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether these changes influenced learning outcomes. Using novel survey data covering 11,154 students (11th and 13th grade), 3,905 teachers, and 105 school principals, we document limited innovation in school practices, a widespread replication of traditional
teaching formats in online settings, and a mismatch between teachers’ perceived digital readiness and their actual methodological adjustments. Teacher training was uneven and rarely focused on pedagogical innovation. Regression results suggest that the adoption of innovative teaching methods and appropriate organizational changes are positively associated with students’ self-reported learning outcomes. Overall, the findings provide valuable insights for school-level interventions and teacher development policies, particularly in light of the ongoing technological transformation of the
education sector.
Keywords: Remote learning; students’ performance; Covid-19; socio-economic disparities.
J.E.L. Classification: I21, I24, O33.
KEYWORDS
JEL CODE
AKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Sara Pau passed away during the writing of this manuscript and we acknowledge her invaluable contribution. This study is dedicated to her memory. Corresponding author: Adriana Di Liberto, University of Cagliari, Department of Economics and Business, Via S. Ignazio 17, 09123 Cagliari, Italy. We thank Fondazione Agnelli, especially Gianfranco De Simone, Giovanni Piumatti and Martino Bernardi, the seminar participants at the ERSA conference 2023 (Alicante) and the two anonymous referees for their helpful comments. The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from Fondazione Giovanni Agnelli, the EU Horizon Program, ESSPIN- Economic, Social And Spatial Inequalities InEurope In The Era Of Global Mega-Trends- GRANT AGREEMENTN.101061104. This study was funded by the European Union- NextGenerationEU, Mission 4, Component 2, in the framework of the GRINS- Growing Resilient, INclusive and Sustainable project (GRINS PE00000018– CUP F53C22000760007). The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, nor can the European Union be held responsible for them.
CITE THIS WORK