Student reflections on emotional engagement reveal science fatigue during the COVID-19 online learning transition

ABSTRACT Numerous quantitative studies in science education found that student engagement declined after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but analyses to identify the factors that drove emotional engagement down are lacking. Emotional engagement is a multidimensional construct composed of interes...

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Main Authors: Emma R. Wester, Lisa L. Walsh, Sandra Arango-Caro, Elena Bray Speth, Kristine Callis-Duehl
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Society for Microbiology 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00093-24
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author Emma R. Wester
Lisa L. Walsh
Sandra Arango-Caro
Elena Bray Speth
Kristine Callis-Duehl
author_facet Emma R. Wester
Lisa L. Walsh
Sandra Arango-Caro
Elena Bray Speth
Kristine Callis-Duehl
author_sort Emma R. Wester
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Numerous quantitative studies in science education found that student engagement declined after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but analyses to identify the factors that drove emotional engagement down are lacking. Emotional engagement is a multidimensional construct composed of interest in an academic discipline, value in an academic course, and anxiety. Here, we use qualitative analysis to examine how and why the emergency shift from face-to-face to online classes during and after the pandemic-induced emergency remote transition impacted student emotional engagement. We coded student responses to open-ended questions using an emotional engagement framework and compared them between March and May 2020. Students’ survey responses indicate that their positive attitudes toward science and value in the course declined. In contrast, more students expressed negative values of the course in the post-survey, with students mainly critiquing instructors and learning. This qualitative analysis offers a deeper understanding of students' emotional challenges during this educational upheaval and suggests effective teaching strategies for future crises.
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issn 1935-7877
1935-7885
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher American Society for Microbiology
record_format Article
series Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
spelling doaj-art-192d0a5679b04c1faab75f1366805af62024-12-12T14:00:32ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyJournal of Microbiology & Biology Education1935-78771935-78852024-12-0125310.1128/jmbe.00093-24Student reflections on emotional engagement reveal science fatigue during the COVID-19 online learning transitionEmma R. Wester0Lisa L. Walsh1Sandra Arango-Caro2Elena Bray Speth3Kristine Callis-Duehl4Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USADonald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USADonald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USASaint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USADonald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USAABSTRACT Numerous quantitative studies in science education found that student engagement declined after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but analyses to identify the factors that drove emotional engagement down are lacking. Emotional engagement is a multidimensional construct composed of interest in an academic discipline, value in an academic course, and anxiety. Here, we use qualitative analysis to examine how and why the emergency shift from face-to-face to online classes during and after the pandemic-induced emergency remote transition impacted student emotional engagement. We coded student responses to open-ended questions using an emotional engagement framework and compared them between March and May 2020. Students’ survey responses indicate that their positive attitudes toward science and value in the course declined. In contrast, more students expressed negative values of the course in the post-survey, with students mainly critiquing instructors and learning. This qualitative analysis offers a deeper understanding of students' emotional challenges during this educational upheaval and suggests effective teaching strategies for future crises.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00093-24COVID-19education in emergenciesemotional engagementscience fatiguestudent engagement
spellingShingle Emma R. Wester
Lisa L. Walsh
Sandra Arango-Caro
Elena Bray Speth
Kristine Callis-Duehl
Student reflections on emotional engagement reveal science fatigue during the COVID-19 online learning transition
Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
COVID-19
education in emergencies
emotional engagement
science fatigue
student engagement
title Student reflections on emotional engagement reveal science fatigue during the COVID-19 online learning transition
title_full Student reflections on emotional engagement reveal science fatigue during the COVID-19 online learning transition
title_fullStr Student reflections on emotional engagement reveal science fatigue during the COVID-19 online learning transition
title_full_unstemmed Student reflections on emotional engagement reveal science fatigue during the COVID-19 online learning transition
title_short Student reflections on emotional engagement reveal science fatigue during the COVID-19 online learning transition
title_sort student reflections on emotional engagement reveal science fatigue during the covid 19 online learning transition
topic COVID-19
education in emergencies
emotional engagement
science fatigue
student engagement
url https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00093-24
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AT lisalwalsh studentreflectionsonemotionalengagementrevealsciencefatigueduringthecovid19onlinelearningtransition
AT sandraarangocaro studentreflectionsonemotionalengagementrevealsciencefatigueduringthecovid19onlinelearningtransition
AT elenabrayspeth studentreflectionsonemotionalengagementrevealsciencefatigueduringthecovid19onlinelearningtransition
AT kristinecallisduehl studentreflectionsonemotionalengagementrevealsciencefatigueduringthecovid19onlinelearningtransition