September 2021 – the start of kids’ New Year and for many hopefully the first full year of in-classroom schooling. Although schools and classrooms may be back to “normal” the kids and teens who are returning to them are forever changed. They have experienced a multitude of learning platforms, methods and teachers.
Back in July 2020, just four months into homeschooling we asked kids and teens how they felt about their new educational reality and now one month into the new school year we’ve asked more than 3,000 UK and US 7-14s to see how they'd like best to learn.
Some things have stayed consistent – there’s a clear preference for more breaks within the day with half asked (51%) this month requesting it as their top change, a slight rise on the number who wanted that back in July 2020 when they were homeschooling (48%). This digital expert cohort also prefer integration of technology in their learning, with 40% of the kids and teens we spoke to wanting more opportunity to use computers both now and back in July 2020. And dedicated concentration continues to be a request even back in the classroom with 37% wanting headphones to allow them to focus, in line with when they were at home in July 2020 (36%).
But this brand-new school year has seen a change in worries for pupils. Our unique Omnibus tool, allows us to speak directly to thousands of kids and teens each month safely and compliantly without adult interference. It has revealed that 7-14s are now less worried about Covid (32%) than they are about tests (41%) and homework (39%). Girls are particularly concerned with 48% of them feeing worried about test and exams vs 40% of US boys and 31% of UK boys feeling the pressure.
The longer US school shutdowns have also had an effect with 35% of US kids and teens worrying about making new friends vs only a quarter of UK kids having that concern (25%). And a third of US 7-14s (31%) were most looking forward to getting back to school to have a normal routine again vs just over a quarter of UK kids and teens (27%).
The global pandemic forced the biggest shake up in education in modern history. But, despite the different incarnations kids and teens have seen of their schooling over the last 18 months, their opinions and requests have remained fairly consistent. Therefore there is a huge opportunity for educational systems to look at how they nurture and develop this incredible generation who are predicted to be the most creative cohort we have ever seen.
If you’d like to know more, please get in touch and use our brain. We're here to help.
