Socio-demographic and geographic determinants of learning engagement among primary school students in Ethiopia during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education globally, with school closures severely affecting students in low-income countries like Ethiopia. Assessing learning engagement during this period is vital for informing equitable and resilient education systems. Objective To examine learning engagement among Ethiopian primary school students and conduct a comparative analysis of engagement levels based on key socio-demographic and geographic factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the fifth round of the High-Frequency Phone Survey of Households (HFPS-HH), implemented by Ethiopia’s Central Statistical Agency and the World Bank. A total of 1323 households with students who had been enrolled in primary education prior to the pandemic were included. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the data, with learning engagement as the outcome variable. Results Of the 1323 households included in this study, 72.49% reported that their children were not engaged in learning activities after the outbreak, while the remaining 27.6% were engaged. Students in urban areas (AOR = 2.043, 95% CI = 2.031, 2.621) and those from male-headed households (AOR = 0.708, 95% CI = 0.570, 0.880) were more likely to stay engaged. Regional differences were evident, with students in Addis Ababa, Oromia, Harar, and Dire Dawa showing higher engagement compared to those in Somali and Afar regions. During the pandemic, traditional methods such as completing assignments and watching educational TV were more common than digital learning tools. Conclusion The findings revealed that only a small proportion of students remained engaged in learning during the pandemic, with significant disparities across gender, residence, and region. The findings highlight the need for targeted policies to expand digital access, strengthen media-based learning, and support vulnerable households to ensure equitable learning opportunities during and beyond crisis periods.

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