The Impact of Delayed School Start Times During COVID-19 on Academic Performance: A Longitudinal Naturalistic Study in Italian High Schools
Valentina Alfonsi,1 Agostino Carbone,2 Serena Scarpelli,1 Maurizio Gorgoni,1,3 Antonella Luchini,4 Patrizia D’Andrea,5 Stefania Cherubini,5 Cristina Costarelli,4 Alessandro Couyoumdjian,1 Fiorenzo Laghi,2 Luigi De Gennaro1,3 1Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; 2Depar...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Dove Medical Press
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Nature and Science of Sleep |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.dovepress.com/the-impact-of-delayed-school-start-times-during-covid-19-on-academic-p-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-NSS |
| _version_ | 1797375325974298624 |
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| author | Alfonsi V Carbone A Scarpelli S Gorgoni M Luchini A D’Andrea P Cherubini S Costarelli C Couyoumdjian A Laghi F De Gennaro L |
| author_facet | Alfonsi V Carbone A Scarpelli S Gorgoni M Luchini A D’Andrea P Cherubini S Costarelli C Couyoumdjian A Laghi F De Gennaro L |
| author_sort | Alfonsi V |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Valentina Alfonsi,1 Agostino Carbone,2 Serena Scarpelli,1 Maurizio Gorgoni,1,3 Antonella Luchini,4 Patrizia D’Andrea,5 Stefania Cherubini,5 Cristina Costarelli,4 Alessandro Couyoumdjian,1 Fiorenzo Laghi,2 Luigi De Gennaro1,3 1Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; 2Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; 3IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; 4Liceo Scientifico Statale “Isacco Newton”, Roma, Italy; 5Istituto di Istruzione Superiore via Copernico, Pomezia, ItalyCorrespondence: Valentina Alfonsi, Department of Psychology, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, 00185, Italy, Tel +39 649917508, Email valentina.alfonsi@uniroma1.itBackground: Delaying school start times has been proposed as a potential solution to address chronic sleep curtailment among adolescents and its negative consequences on their physical and mental well-being. This study investigates the impact of delayed school start times due to the COVID-19 pandemic on academic achievement.Subjects and Methods: Two separate observational studies were conducted involving high school students from the first/second year (n=232) (Study 1) and from the final year (n=39) (Study 2). Multivariate Analyses of Covariance were performed to assess for statistical differences in academic performance (ie, global, humanistic, and scientific performance) and absenteeism (ie, number of school absences). Two main factors were considered: “school start time” (ie, standard-8:00 AM vs late-9:40 AM) and “time interval” (ie, first academic semester vs second academic semester), controlling for the school year (Study 1) and circadian preference (Study 2).Results: Delaying school start times was positively associated with better academic performance in scientific subjects among first/second-year students (F1,229=6.083, p=0.026) and global academic performance among last-year students (F1,35=4.522, p=0.041). Furthermore, first/second-year students significantly increased their school achievement (F1,229> 29.423, p< 0.001) and school absences (F1,229=66.160, p< 0.001) during the second semester of the academic year. No significant effect of “school start time” on school attendance was observed. Additionally, circadian preference was found to be a significant covariate among last-year students, with early chronotypes exhibiting better academic performance (r> 0.369, p< 0.025).Conclusion: These findings confirm past evidence about the beneficial effects of delayed school start times on academic outcomes, with the additional advantage of observing them within a natural context that emerged during the pandemic. Further research is needed to explore the phenomenon more systematically and take into account the broader implications of implementing this change.Keywords: later school start time, academic achievement, adolescents, COVID-19 pandemic, circadian preference |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T19:22:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9786e032d8044dadbb20c77ac42a028b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1179-1608 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T19:22:36Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Dove Medical Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature and Science of Sleep |
| spelling | doaj.art-9786e032d8044dadbb20c77ac42a028b2023-12-26T18:05:30ZengDove Medical PressNature and Science of Sleep1179-16082023-12-01Volume 151129113889290The Impact of Delayed School Start Times During COVID-19 on Academic Performance: A Longitudinal Naturalistic Study in Italian High SchoolsAlfonsi VCarbone AScarpelli SGorgoni MLuchini AD’Andrea PCherubini SCostarelli CCouyoumdjian ALaghi FDe Gennaro LValentina Alfonsi,1 Agostino Carbone,2 Serena Scarpelli,1 Maurizio Gorgoni,1,3 Antonella Luchini,4 Patrizia D’Andrea,5 Stefania Cherubini,5 Cristina Costarelli,4 Alessandro Couyoumdjian,1 Fiorenzo Laghi,2 Luigi De Gennaro1,3 1Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; 2Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; 3IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; 4Liceo Scientifico Statale “Isacco Newton”, Roma, Italy; 5Istituto di Istruzione Superiore via Copernico, Pomezia, ItalyCorrespondence: Valentina Alfonsi, Department of Psychology, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, 00185, Italy, Tel +39 649917508, Email valentina.alfonsi@uniroma1.itBackground: Delaying school start times has been proposed as a potential solution to address chronic sleep curtailment among adolescents and its negative consequences on their physical and mental well-being. This study investigates the impact of delayed school start times due to the COVID-19 pandemic on academic achievement.Subjects and Methods: Two separate observational studies were conducted involving high school students from the first/second year (n=232) (Study 1) and from the final year (n=39) (Study 2). Multivariate Analyses of Covariance were performed to assess for statistical differences in academic performance (ie, global, humanistic, and scientific performance) and absenteeism (ie, number of school absences). Two main factors were considered: “school start time” (ie, standard-8:00 AM vs late-9:40 AM) and “time interval” (ie, first academic semester vs second academic semester), controlling for the school year (Study 1) and circadian preference (Study 2).Results: Delaying school start times was positively associated with better academic performance in scientific subjects among first/second-year students (F1,229=6.083, p=0.026) and global academic performance among last-year students (F1,35=4.522, p=0.041). Furthermore, first/second-year students significantly increased their school achievement (F1,229> 29.423, p< 0.001) and school absences (F1,229=66.160, p< 0.001) during the second semester of the academic year. No significant effect of “school start time” on school attendance was observed. Additionally, circadian preference was found to be a significant covariate among last-year students, with early chronotypes exhibiting better academic performance (r> 0.369, p< 0.025).Conclusion: These findings confirm past evidence about the beneficial effects of delayed school start times on academic outcomes, with the additional advantage of observing them within a natural context that emerged during the pandemic. Further research is needed to explore the phenomenon more systematically and take into account the broader implications of implementing this change.Keywords: later school start time, academic achievement, adolescents, COVID-19 pandemic, circadian preferencehttps://www.dovepress.com/the-impact-of-delayed-school-start-times-during-covid-19-on-academic-p-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-NSSlater school start timeacademic achievementadolescentscovid-19 pandemiccircadian preference. |
| spellingShingle | Alfonsi V Carbone A Scarpelli S Gorgoni M Luchini A D’Andrea P Cherubini S Costarelli C Couyoumdjian A Laghi F De Gennaro L The Impact of Delayed School Start Times During COVID-19 on Academic Performance: A Longitudinal Naturalistic Study in Italian High Schools Nature and Science of Sleep later school start time academic achievement adolescents covid-19 pandemic circadian preference. |
| title | The Impact of Delayed School Start Times During COVID-19 on Academic Performance: A Longitudinal Naturalistic Study in Italian High Schools |
| title_full | The Impact of Delayed School Start Times During COVID-19 on Academic Performance: A Longitudinal Naturalistic Study in Italian High Schools |
| title_fullStr | The Impact of Delayed School Start Times During COVID-19 on Academic Performance: A Longitudinal Naturalistic Study in Italian High Schools |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Impact of Delayed School Start Times During COVID-19 on Academic Performance: A Longitudinal Naturalistic Study in Italian High Schools |
| title_short | The Impact of Delayed School Start Times During COVID-19 on Academic Performance: A Longitudinal Naturalistic Study in Italian High Schools |
| title_sort | impact of delayed school start times during covid 19 on academic performance a longitudinal naturalistic study in italian high schools |
| topic | later school start time academic achievement adolescents covid-19 pandemic circadian preference. |
| url | https://www.dovepress.com/the-impact-of-delayed-school-start-times-during-covid-19-on-academic-p-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-NSS |
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