Üsküdar University has added a new study to its ongoing research on the Covid-19 pandemic, which continues to affect the world. The results of the research on the global pandemic's impact on university students are noteworthy. Students believe the pandemic has negatively affected education…
Students from 9 universities, including Üsküdar University, provided information on the pandemic's impact on their lives in a survey conducted in May. The research findings were presented at the 56th National Psychiatry Congress, organized by the Turkish Psychiatric Association, held online from December 18-20, with a paper titled “Well-being of University Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Nine Universities from Turkey.”
The paper was presented at the congress by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asil Özdoğru, Head of the Psychology (English) Department at Üsküdar University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
“Students believe the pandemic has negatively affected education”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özdoğru stated regarding the research; “This study was conducted in over twenty countries, led by the University of Antwerp from Belgium. Students participating in the online survey conducted in Turkey between May 11 and 29 answered questions pertaining to the periods during and before the pandemic. A total of 9,593 students participated in the survey from 3 private and 6 public universities; 69% were female, with an average age of 23.6. According to the survey results, 95% of students had not contracted the disease. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, students were more likely to reside with their parents during the pandemic, their financial resources had decreased, and their use of cigarettes, alcohol, and substances, as well as their physical activities, had decreased. Conversely, their social contact with family increased while contact with friends decreased. It was found that students spent more of their free time playing electronic games, using social media, and watching TV series or movies during the pandemic compared to before. Additionally, students reported feeling boredom and anxiety during the pandemic, and that they were more concerned about a close acquaintance falling ill than about themselves. Students communicated less with their instructors regarding both their courses and psychosocial problems, and only 7% reported contacting psychological counseling units. Students feel they were not sufficiently informed about the changes made at their universities and believe the pandemic negatively affected the quality of education. We hope these findings will help in better understanding our students' needs and expectations during the ongoing pandemic and in taking necessary steps.”
9 universities are involved in the research!
Özdoğru stated, “In addition to Üsküdar University, the research includes Ankara University, Bahçeşehir University, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Çankırı Karatekin University, Istanbul University, Maltepe University, Middle East Technical University, and Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University. The research team continues its work on new publications related to the results.”