Abstract
This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on eleventh graders’ English performance and motivation in a private school. A mixed-methods approach was employed to identify four points: a) differences in students’ performance on the Saber 11 English test across six cohorts (2017 to 2022); b) differences in students’ performance on the school’s in-house test across three cohorts (2020 to 2022); c) the relationship between both English tests; and d) students’ perceptions of their learning and motivation during and after the pandemic. The results revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in the Saber 11 English test scores across cohorts; there were statistically significant differences in the in-house test scores, with the post-pandemic cohort having a higher performance; there were no strong relationships between both tests; and students perceived that their learning and motivation improved after the pandemic due to face-to-face interactions. The study concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic did not impact students’ performance significantly; hence, the inferences made about students’ performance are valid. Students’ positive perception of their learning and motivation post-pandemic might have positively influenced their performance. It is also concluded that the school’s in-house test did not have a strong predictive validity or correlation with the Saber 11 English test. The consequences of English tests on students and institutions are discussed.
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