Presenter(s)

• Saheli Anil, Northern Illinois University
• Julia Ogg, Assistant Professor, Northern Illinois Univers

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted children’s education by forcing them to adapt abruptly to virtual learning (Tan et al., 2021). Approaches to learning (ATL) is a child’s learning attitudes and behaviors, and it is a specific developmental domain in education that may be affected by the pandemic (Meisels & Atkins-Burnett, 1999; Tan et al., 2021). It is associated with academic readiness and later success in core academic domains (i.e., math, reading; Bustamante et al., 2017; Li-Grining et al., 2010; McWayne et al., 2004; Tan et al., 2021; Vitiello et al., 2011). However, the majority of this research took place prior to the pandemic, so the present study sought to extend the research past the pandemic. The pandemic also impacted children’s mental health (anxiety and depression) with the increase in social isolation and remote learning (Jarvers et al., 2023; Hyunshik et al., 2021; Vasileva et al., 2021). Positive parenting practices are crucial in averting the development of poor mental health and poor ATL among young children (Clayborne et al., 2021; Hyson, 2008; Ryan et al., 2017; Tan et al., 2021). It influences child motivation (Wigfield & Eccles, 2002) and is associated with improved mental health outcomes (Clayborne et al., 2021; Hyson et al., 2008). LGM analyses did not result in significant findings to support that kindergartener mental health symptoms significantly changed before, during, and after the pandemic. Results indicate that anxious and depressive symptoms may play a role in children’s ALT in early education, particularly after the pandemic. Higher levels of anxious and depressive symptoms were associated with lower levels of ATL. Parenting behaviors had a direct effect on ATL, but did not moderate the relationship between child anxiety and depression symptoms and ATL after the pandemic. Findings suggest that positive parenting practices do not significantly weaken or strengthen the relationships between child mental health symptoms and ATL post-pandemic.