Whose learning loss is it anyways? Exposing entrenched inequities in education through teachers’ pandemic observations

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education systems in ways that continue to shape how learning, ability, and support are understood. While quantitative studies have repeatedly reported academic decline, particularly among at-risk students, there is still limited insight into how abilities were perceived in everyday teaching practice. This study draws on eight qualitative interviews with 12 teachers from inclusive and special schools in Vienna, Austria, conducted during and after school closures. Data were analysed using constructivist grounded theory (
<jats:xref ref-type="bibr">Charmaz, 2014
) combined with diffractive analysis (
<jats:xref ref-type="bibr">Barad, 2007
). Findings reveal five interrelated themes: the role of routine as a stabilising force, the emotional importance of physical closeness, the fragile stability of well-resourced students, opportunities for individual growth during lockdown, and enduring post-pandemic shifts in learning. Teachers’ narratives show that ability was constructed not as a fixed attribute but as contingent on context, expectations, and available support. While deficit-oriented views of students with special educational needs (SEN) persisted, some SEN students thrived under alternative conditions, challenging dominant learning loss discourses. The study highlights the need for flexible and inclusive educational frameworks that address structural ableism and can support diverse student needs, both in times of crisis and in everyday schooling.