DISEÑO DE INVESTIGACIÓN TRABAJO SOCIAL 1
RESEARCH DESIGN SOCIAL WORK 7
Comment by Grace Izquierdo: APA – Running head /
titulillo y número de la página – debe seguir el formato APA
The bio-psycho-social impact of Distance Education on
American High School Academy students in Miami Dade
County in South Florida, as a consequence of the COVID-19
pandemic.
Estudiante:
Institución:
Marzo
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a crisis in many sectors
globally, including the education sector. Since the disease hit
the world, efforts have been made to seek alternative lifestyles.
It forced the education sector to move away from face-to-face
learning, and both teachers and students switched to online
learning. Since then, the disease has had impacts like
sociological where people cannot come up and learn together,
psychological in that people have been stressed up with deaths
of their people, and much more on distance learning in
adolescents (Ali, 2020). In this case, it is the ninth-grade
students of the American High School Academy. The disease
has created unprecedented pressure on Miami Dade. On April 6,
2021, the number of reported death cases was 19, and 1,516 new
cases were reported. This shows that the infection rate is still
very high, despite the slight decrease in the number of infected.

The COVID-19 rules being followed in Miami include getting
vaccinated, wearing masks to maintain social distance, and
disinfecting rooms and objects. The referred center has about
250 students, and their teachers take attendance to classes
online, and classes are attended online.
1.1-Research problem / Definition
Coronavirus is a disease caused by the COVID-19 virus
classified as a pandemic at present, which has changed the
dynamics of the world in general. The first case was discovered
in the city of Wuhan in China in December 2019, and since
then, the disease has spread around the world, claiming
thousands of lives. COVID-19 has impacted the biological,
psychological, and social point of view in the ninth-grade
students of the American High School Academy located in
Miami Dade County in southern Florida, starting with
implementing the modality of Distance Education to replace
face-to-face learning program. Students cannot adopt new rules
and regulations due to limited financial resources (Ballivian et
al., 2020). Students cannot continue with distance education due
to limited financial resources.
1.2-Justification and relevance of the study
At this point of justification and relevance of the study, we will
primarily focus on why this study is essential to the school or
anyone in general. First and foremost, the impacts of the
coronavirus have been very many, and people have not known
how to deal with them, and the study will help then affected
people to know how to deal with the pandemics like such next
time. Secondly, there is an existence of gap for the research of
coronavirus pandemic; hence this study will help the
researchers get whatever they need in the industry while
carrying their researches. The research will be necessary for
social work in that students will know how to leave with this
kind of pandemic next time another one arises.
On the other hand, this research is fundamental to the education

system since it will elaborate more on how children can use it to
ensure that the learning continues as planned. It will also ensure
that teachers can also teach their classes through online classes
even though there is a pandemic in the nation. The research will
also help the school analyze what transpired during this
pandemic season ((García & Weiss, 2020). Lastly, to the Miami
county families, the research will be crucial because it will help
the neighboring population with appropriate knowledge on how
to leave with the pandemic. It will come up with better
strategies like social distance and much more. Generally, the
study will develop better ways to solve the sociological
problems that arise due to the pandemic, like social distancing.
It will also help in solving psychological problems like stress
due to the loss of loved ones. Lastly, it will help in dealing with
biological problems like the onset of the pandemic and ensuring
that such actions cannot happen again.
1.3-Objectives of the study
The objective of this research is to demonstrate the bio-psycho-
social impact of distance education as a style of education
during the COVID-19 pandemic in ninth-grade students from
American High School Academy in Miami Dade in South
Florida...
1.4-Research questions
• What socio-demographic characteristics predominate in
American High School Academy, ninth graders?
• How is bio-psychosocial impact defined in ninth-grade
students at American High School Academy?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of distance
education in times of a pandemic?
• What types of mental illness have prevailed in American High
School Academy ninth graders during the COVID-19 pandemic?
• What stressors related to COVID-19 are correlated with
anxiety and depression during the pandemic?
1.5-Variables and definition of variables
Bio-psycho-social impact- the independent variable, and Long-

distance education is the dependent variable. Unknown
variables: other variables can constitute them, the
characteristics of the instructor, administrative support, course
design, course content, social support, student characteristics,
technical support, and the socio-demographic variables are age,
gender, and educational level (Wodon, 2020).
1.6-Definition of important concepts
Distance education: Also known as online, online, or remote
education, it is an innovative way of learning and teaching that
brings the dynamics of a traditional and face-to-face class to the
digital world. In this way, from anywhere in the world, students
and teachers will connect in a virtual environment on their
computers through the Internet, making intensive use of the
facilities provided by new digital technologies. (According to
the University of Palermo) -doubt
Distance education is a teaching modality with great potential
and is an excellent option that, if carried out professionally,
guarantees the same results as traditional teaching. According to
Madero University Bio-Psycho-Social Balance, We speak of a
bio-psychosocial model concerning the approach that takes care
of people's health by integrating biological, psychological, and
social factors. This model understands that the well-being of
man depends on the three dimensions: it is not enough that the
individual is physically healthy. The bio-psychosocial model is
one of the models that we find in psychology and even
psychotherapy. It is an approach that establishes that several
factors influence the development and well-being of a person in
the context of a disease, disorder, or disability.
These factors, as the name of the model itself indicates, are of
three types: biological (genetics, inheritance ...), psychological
(behaviors, emotions, thoughts ...) and social (educational
opportunities, poverty, unemployment ...). (Ruiz et al., 2020)
Projected limitations of the study
According to this research, there are a few limitations that
can be met while analyzing the research. First and foremost,
there is the limitation of the researches on this topic; hence

there were no many resources to refer from. There could not be
a suitable data collection method like interviews since the
pandemic only encouraged people to stay at home and avoid
gatherings.
1.8 Description of the research design
This research chose to use a research design known as the
survey method because it could best fit the research. A survey
study could only be done in a small number of people of a
group, and this happened because we could not find all the
students at once due to the pandemic protocols like staying
home and social distance. However, the results that are to be
gotten on the research are to apply to the entire population of
people even though you may not have participated. The only
method used during the research was the use of questionnaires
distributed to people at random and collected back after some
time.
References
Ali, T. (2020). Distance Learning During COVID-19: 7 Fairness
Considerations for Schools and Districts. Report the problem.
Southern Education Foundation.
Ballivian, J., Alcaide, M. L., Cecchini, D., Jones, D. L.,
Abbamonte, J. M. and Cassetti, I. (2020). Impact of COVID-19-
related stress and blockage on the mental health of people living
with HIV in Argentina. JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndromes, 85 (4), 475-482.
García, E. and Weiss, E. (2020). COVID-19 and US Student
Achievement, Equity, and Education Policy: Lessons from Pre-
Pandemic Research to Inform Relief, Recovery, and

Reconstruction. Institute of Economic Policy.
Wodon, Q. (2020). COVID-19 crisis impacts Catholic schools
and possible responses | Part 1: Developed countries with
particular attention to the United States.
https://www.palermo.edu/online/educacion-a-distancia.html
https://umad.edu.mx/conoce-que-es-la-educacion-a-distancia-
en-la-actualidad/
https://psicologiaymente.com/biografias/virginia-satir
Running head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL 1
RESEARCH PROPOSAL 6
The Bio-Psycho-Social Impact of Distance Education on
American High School Academy Students in Miami Dade
County in South Florida, as Consequence of the COVID-19
Pandemic
Student Name
Institution Affiliation
Date

Chapter Two
Literature Review
This section includes a review of published literature related to
the bio-psychosocial impact of distance education on high
school academy students due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Al-Sabbah et al. (2021) conducted a study to examine the
biopsychosocial factors that affect students’ and educators’
wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the effect
of the factors on the individuals’ thoughts, feelings, work
environment, family relationships, and behavior. The
questionnaire used in the study contained the biological,
psychological, and social domains that covered the symptoms
that manifested as a result of the pandemic. The
biopsychosocial factors identified were depression, increased
sleep and appetite, headache, physical comfort, the negative
impact of media, and goal achievement. Physical exercise,
eating more, and sleeping were the reported coping strategies
used by students and educators to cope with COVID-19 related
stress.
Generally, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the increased use
of distance learning through online classes due to the closure of
schools and the discontinuation of face-to-face learning.
Pokhrel and Chhetri (2021) provided a comprehensive report
outlining how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted online
learning. The authors pointed out the emotional and
psychological distress that many students have experienced as a
result of online homeschooling. Some of the positive aspects
identified are the increased understanding, self-directed
learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills from
online classes. Students are exposed to increased screen time,
which is associated with various harmful effects such as obesity
(Pokhrel & Chhetri (2021). Pokhrel and Chhetri (2021)
identified various social, economic, and psychological
consequences of online learning, including exposure to
cyberbullying, violent content, and online exploitation, as

students may not have the skills to keep their virtual
environment safe.
Similarly, a study conducted by Silva et al. (2020) established
that distance learning was an effective coping tool against the
negative effect of the social isolation measures enacted during
the pandemic. The researchers analyzed the impact of distance
on the quality of life of undergraduate students, learning during
the COVID-19 pandemic considering the social isolation put in
place to control the spread of the virus. The findings of the
study were that social isolation had the highest impact on the
psychological domain of the students’ quality of life. The
overall effect of distance learning on the students’ quality of
life was positive. Sociodemographic characteristics such as age
and sex had a varying effect on the quality of life. The students
experienced an improvement in the quality of life with age
advancement, meaning that the older students had a better
quality of life when learning online during isolation. Female
students experienced a better quality of life than male students.
Silva et al. (2020) also analyzed the impact of social factors
such as the devices used to access distance education and the
study environment. The students who conducted the distance
education from the study room, as well as those who used
virtual platforms such as Skype or Zoom, had a higher quality
of life than those who did not have access to these facilities.
Accordingly, Bolatov et al. (2021) established that online
learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic improved
students’ mental health in a study conducted at Astana Medical
University in the Republic of Kazakhs tan targeting medical
students. The researchers compared the mental health status of
students using the traditional face-to-face learning system with
those who had switched to online learning. The findings of the
study indicated that online learning led to a decrease in the
prevalence of anxiety, depression, burnout syndrome, and
somatic symptoms. Nevertheless, online learning negatively
affected students’ interpersonal relationships and
communication increasing colleague-related burnout. Students

with anxiety and depressive symptoms and those that were
dissatisfied with their academic performance had a decline in
academic performance. Students that were receiving online
education under quarantine and lived alone were at an increased
risk of depression.
The Biopsychosocial Model of Health
The biopsychosocial model will be used in this study.
The model explains the effect of psychological stress on the
development of a disease as a result of the interaction of the
mind and the body. The model rejects the assumption that the
development of disease entirely affects physical health, and
includes a consideration of psychological, social, and biological
aspects of health (Kusnanto et al., 2018). According to the
biopsychosocial model, social, biological, and social elements
contribute to the development of an illness. As a result, to
achieve rapid recovery during treatment, it is necessary to
consider a medical, psychological, and social paradigm. The
benefit of this approach is that it allows examination of the
psychological, social, and biological reasons that caused the
illness. The biopsychosocial model can be applied in the context
of distance learning in the wake of COVID-19 to examine its
effects and its causes. The emotional and mental problems that
arise due to online learning can be attributed to the negative
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which increases the
vulnerability of individuals to psychological problems. The
COVID-19 pandemic is associated with physical distancing
measures such as quarantine, which increases individuals’
susceptibility to mental health problems.
Hypothesis
The hypotheses of the study are that:
H1: Distance education has a positive biopsychosocial impact
on American High School Academy ninth graders during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
H2: Distance education has a significant negative impact on the
mental health of American High School Academy ninth graders
during the COVID-19 pandemic.

H3: COVID-19-related stressors increase the vulnerability of
American High School Academy ninth graders to problems
caused by distance learning.
H4: Sociodemographic characteristics influence the
impact of distance education on American High School
Academy ninth graders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
References
Al-Sabbah, S., Darwish, A., Fares, N., Barnes, J., & Almomani,
J. A. (2021). Biopsychosocial factors linked with overall well -
being of students and educators during the COVID-19
pandemic. Cogent Psychology, 8(1), 1875550.
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2021.1875550
Bolatov, A. K., Seisembekov, T. Z., Askarova, A. Z.,
Baikanova, R. K., Smailova, D. S., & Fabbro, E. (2021).
Online-learning due to COVID-19 improved mental health
among medical students. Medical Science Educator, 31(1), 183-
192. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-020-01165-y
Kusnanto, H., Agustian, D., & Hilmanto, D. (2018).
Biopsychosocial model of illnesses in primary care: A
hermeneutic literature review. Journal of Family Medicine and
Primary Care, 7(3), 497–500.

https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_145 _17
Pokhrel, S., & Chhetri, R. (2021). A literature review on impact
of COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning. Higher
Education for the Future, 8(1), 133-141.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2347631120983481
Silva, P. G. D. B., de Oliveira, C. A. L., Borges, M. M. F.,
Moreira, D. M., Alencar, P. N. B., Avelar, R. L., ... & Sousa, F.
B. (2020). Distance learning during social seclusion by
COVID‐ 19: improving the quality of life of undergraduate
dentistry students. European Journal of Dental Education, 25(1),
124-134. https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12583