Academic performance and intellectual capacity in school-age children after the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia

South African Journal of Childhood Education

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Academic performance and intellectual capacity in school-age children after the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
 
Creator Paredes Arturo, Yenny V. Rengifo Rengifo, Laurin Diaz Velásquez, Diego M. Paredes Arturo, Nayibe M.
 
Subject Psychology intellectual capacity; academic performance; pandemic; post-pandemic; language; mathematics
Description Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic caused prolonged school closures and a shift to virtual education, creating major challenges for children with limited internet access or digital skills. These difficulties disrupted learning, especially in key areas such as mathematics and language.Aim: To examine the relationship between academic performance and intellectual capacity in children aged 6 years – 8 years after the pandemic.Setting: The study took place at a public school in Pasto, Colombia.Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 418 children. Cognitive performance was assessed using the WISC-IV, while academic and demographic data were obtained from Sistema administrador de procesos educativos [Educational Process Management System] (SAPRED).Results: A high proportion of children scored in low-average (38%) and borderline (32%) ranges. Most showed borderline performance in verbal comprehension (77%) and working memory (78%). Significant correlations were found between WISC-IV scores and academic performance in mathematics and Spanish.Conclusion: Intellectual and academic performance levels were mainly low or borderline, highlighting the influence of socioeconomic and environmental factors on post-pandemic learning.Contribution: The study provides insight into post-pandemic cognitive and academic outcomes in Colombian children and emphasises the need for context-sensitive educational and psychological interventions.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor Mariana University
Date 2026-04-27
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Quantitative; Descriptive
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajce.v16i1.1740
 
Source South African Journal of Childhood Education; Vol 16, No 1 (2026); 7 pages 2223-7682 2223-7674
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/1740/3716 https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/1740/3717 https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/1740/3718 https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/1740/3719
 
Coverage Colombia, Nariño, Pasto Actuallity Child
Rights Copyright (c) 2026 Yenny V. Paredes Arturo, Laurin Rengifo Rengifo, Diego M. Díaz Velásquez, Nayibe M. Paredes Artur https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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