This study conducts a global systematic review to examine which educational policies mitigated or amplified learning losses following the COVID-19 pandemic. Motivated by growing evidence of substantial and unequal declines in student achievement associated with school closures and emergency remote instruction, the review aims to synthesize robust empirical findings on post-pandemic recovery strategies in basic education. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, the review includes only peer-reviewed journal articles and academic working papers published between 2020 and 2025. Searches were conducted across major multidisciplinary and field-specific databases and working paper repositories, applying predefined PICOS criteria. Eligible studies comprise randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental or observational designs with explicit identification strategies, covering diverse country contexts. The synthesis reveals strong consensus that learning losses were widespread and socially stratified, disproportionately affecting disadvantaged students. Evidence indicates that intensive and targeted interventions—particularly high-dosage tutoring, small-group instruction, and extended learning time combined with diagnostic-based curricular recomposition—were most effective in mitigating losses. In contrast, prolonged school closures, reliance on remote learning without adequate infrastructure, and low-intensity universal recovery measures were frequently associated with persistent or widened educational gaps. The study concludes that effective recovery policies require prioritization of intensity and equity, integration of pedagogical quality with additional instructional time, and attention to institutional capacity, offering evidence-based guidance for future educational resilience and crisis response.

Authors:
Igor Rodrigues, University of Brasilia, Brazil

About the Presenter(s)
I am currently a postdoctoral student at the University of São Paulo. As well as a part-time researcher at the University of Brasilia. My area of study is Educational Economics.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/igor-rodrigues-69b4aa205/

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