Children's Digital Access and Inquiry-Based Learning in Post-Pandemic Classrooms

Abstract

While access to digital innovations for creative learning in the Digital Age is pivotal, the preparedness of educational systems to meet children's learning digitally should there be a reemergence of a pandemic on the scale witnessed in 2019 remains unanswered by Learning Scientists. Using constructionist theory, the study examined the relationship between children's digital access and inquiry-based learning in Ghana's standards-based education system with a validated observation protocol administered in 102 randomly sampled schools. Results showed a logistic model predicting digital access and children's inquiry-based learning, with statistical differences in digital access for private and public schools. The study concluded that despite the vestiges of COVID-19 on education, interventions addressing children's global learning crisis hinge on teacher professionalism for problem-based and real-world scenarios building. The Significance of research, child education science, and the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education are discussed for nations in the global majority.