Effectiveness of Bridge Courses in Post-Pandemic Education

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Prakash Menon

Independent Researcher

Kerala, India

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic produced an unprecedented global learning shock, with repeated school closures, emergency remote teaching, hybrid calendars, and uneven digital readiness creating wide academic discontinuities across grade levels. In many systems, instructional time fell by 30–70% relative to pre-pandemic baselines; formative assessment cycles broke down; and socio-emotional distress impeded concentration, retention, and academic confidence. Against this backdrop, bridge courses—short, intensive, goal-targeted academic interventions delivered between academic years, terms, or curricular phases—have emerged as a pragmatic recovery mechanism to reconnect students with learning trajectories. This study investigates the effectiveness of bridge courses in post-pandemic education across three urban institutions that served a socio-economically mixed learner population (N = 450, ages 14–18). An eight-week cross-disciplinary bridge model—integrating mathematics foundations, language arts literacy, academic habits, and social-emotional skill-building—was implemented in a convergent mixed-methods design. Quantitative data (pre/post standardized tests, attendance analytics, and self-efficacy scales) were triangulated with qualitative evidence from focus groups, reflective educator journals, and structured learner exit interviews.

Keywords
Bridge Courses, Post-Pandemic Education, Learning Recovery, Academic Transition, Learner Self-Efficacy

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