TITLE:
The Impact of the Pandemic (COVID-19) on Higher Education Students: Challenges, Adaptations, and Future Perspectives
AUTHORS:
Sarwar Khawaja, Ester Anjos, Fayyaz Qureshi
KEYWORDS:
Pandemic, Students, Higher Education, Challenges, Adaptations, Future Per-spectives
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.14 No.11,
November
20,
2023
ABSTRACT: In January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the
outbreak of the novel coronavirus as a Public Health Emergency of International
Concern (PHEIC), leading to the implementation of restrictive protective
measures. Building on this issue, this article aims to analyse the impact of
the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education students, addressing the challenges
faced, adaptations made, and future perspectives. To achieve this, the
strategies adopted by educational institutions were explored, such as the
transition to remote learning, the difficulties encountered by students in this
new format, and prospects, including hybrid teaching models and the importance
of developing digital skills. The research employed an inductive method of
historical and bibliographic procedures, collecting data from books, journals,
reports, and online sources to demonstrate the relevance and urgency of
understanding the pandemic’s impacts on higher education students. This study
is justified by the unprecedented challenges brought about by COVID-19 for
higher education institutions, which had to adapt to ensure the continuity of
education rapidly. Understanding the adopted strategies and the difficulties
faced by students contributes to improving educational practices in the face of
future disruptive events, aiming to ensure quality and accessible education for
all students.