A study of South Korean international school students: Impact of COVID-19 on anxiety and learning habits

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted students worldwide on their social, mental, and physical health, as well as their academics. Many studies have shown how COVID-19 has affected different groups of students. The purpose of our research was to study the effect of COVID-19 on international high school students in South Korea. South Korea was lauded for its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, so we further investigated how the online school environment has affected this demographic in particular. We used a survey-based study to gather data on academics, mental, social, and physical health and well-being from 100 high school students attending numerous international schools in Korea. We split up our survey participants by gender and socioeconomic status and compared the averages of their answers using t-tests. Our study confirmed that female students study more than male students and feel they are doing better academically. Furthermore, more of the female students perceived COVID-19 to be dangerous compared to their male counterparts. Seventy-five percent of students also saw a change in their grades based on how their study habits had changed during online school. In addition, most students felt more depressed and anxious during the pandemic, feeling the "COVID blues." The findings from our study can be used to further improve school systems and student management, especially during a time of crisis in the future.