Educational Disparities in a Hybrid Learning Environment During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Analyzing the Moderating Effects of School Responses

This study analyzes the impact of family background (household income, parental education) and students' ICT competency on academic achievement in a blended learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it empirically examines whether school-level interventions to mitigate learning gaps play a moderating role in these relationships. To this end, a two-level hierarchical linear model analysis was conducted using the first-year data from the Seoul Student Longitudinal Study 2020. The analysis revealed that household income and parental education had significant positive effects on students' academic achievement. Furthermore, students' ICT competency was also a crucial factor in enhancing academic performance. School-level interventions aimed at reducing learning disparities contributed positively to academic achievement, with particularly pronounced effects for students from lower-income households, those with less-educated parents, or those with lower ICT competency. In other words, school interventions served as a moderating variable in the relationship between family background, ICT competency, and academic achievement. These findings suggest that public education can play a critical role in mitigating learning disparities during emergencies such as a pandemic. Based on the results, this study provides policy implications for reducing learning gaps in future educational environments where blended learning is likely to persist and proposes directions for future research.