FILE: A hallway is empty with most of the lights off on what would otherwise be a blended learning school day on November 19, 2020 at Yung Wing School P.S. 124 in New York City. Researchers at BYU found teens' mental health improves with in-school learning, but said when you must learn remotely, getting adequate sleep helps mental health. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
New research suggests teens may benefit from more in-person class during the pandemic, but also more sleep.
BYU and San Diego State University looked at how teenage students and their parents felt about the unusual class schedules over the past year.
Students who had the highest satisfaction where those who were in-class, in-person, so with a normal schedule.
But teens who had asynchronous classes or were on a hybrid schedule were the most dissatisfied. They had the least interaction with peers and teachers.
Hybrid or remote learning was also hard on working parents.
The research did say the teens had better mental health by getting more sleep in those remote or virtual environments.
They hope it prompts policy makers to prioritize in-person schooling, but adjust high school start times to a little later in the morning.
You can see more of the research from BYU’s site here.
The Deseret News talked to some of the researchers and other experts, including younger grades. That article is here.