Impact of virtual education on the academic performance of secondary school students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56200/mentor.v5i14.11616Keywords:
Virtual education, Academic performance, Digital divideAbstract
Virtual education transformed high school education by ensuring educational continuity; however, its effects on academic achievement were uneven and conditioned by pedagogical design, technological access, teacher mediation, and students’ self-regulation. This study aimed to analyze the impact of virtual education on the academic achievement of high school students, considering pedagogical, technological, and motivational factors reported in recent scientific literature. A narrative review was conducted using Scopus and SciELO, selecting seven studies published between 2019 and 2024 through defined inclusion criteria, an extraction matrix, and thematic analysis to synthesize recent multidimensional educational evidence. The results showed non-homogeneous impacts: improvements under effective pedagogical mediation and adequate technological access, mixed outcomes where persistent gaps remained, and positive motivational effects associated with mobile platforms and virtual reality. It was concluded that virtual education can improve academic achievement at the high school level only when supported by intentional pedagogical design, continuous teacher support, and technological equity; otherwise, it reproduces inequalities and limits learning.
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