Higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic in the opinions of students in Poland

  • Emilia Mazurek Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18543/tjhe.2172
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, higher education, distance education, e-learning, virtual classes

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed the social life as we have known so far. Lockdown-type control measures resulted in numerous limitations in the operation of public and non-public institutions as well as limitations in social, family and cultural life. The measures taken due to COVID-19 have had an immediate effect on higher education in Poland. The aim of the study was to find out what experiences were gained by students participating in distance education in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic. The long-term study was conducted in two stages. The study included 290 participants who were studying in various types of universities in Poland. As a result of the research it was found that from the perspective of students, the biggest advantage of online education were logistical and organisational issues. The greatest limitations of online education were: absence of personal interaction with teachers and other students, difficulty in organising online classes based on students’ activity and learning-by-doing, lack of standardisation of platforms used for online education at the university, too much workload for students requiring independent learning, and risk of health problems as a consequence of too long work at the computer. In the second semester of distance education during the pandemic, there was an increase in student satisfaction with online education, mainly due to the more frequent conducting of synchronously classes The crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic situation initiated the educational revolution in Poland. It appears that online education will remain an integral part of Polish higher education system, but it will not replace stationary education after the pandemic.

Received: 2 August 2021
Accepted: 29 September 2022

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Author Biography

Emilia Mazurek, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland

M.A. degree in 2005 and a Ph.D. degree in 2010 in pedagogy awarded by University of Wroclaw, Poland. She has been working at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology (Poland) since October 2010 as Assistant Professor. Her research focuses on lifelong learning and adults’ education. She has published several edited books, book chapters, articles and conference papers in these fields. She was three times at the Technical University of Dresden, Germany as part of a research scholarship. Additionally, Emilia Mazurek is a university teacher and an academic tutor, prepares PhD students to take up the role of academic teachers. She was awarded the Medal of the National Education Commission for special services for education and upbringing by the Minister of National Education in Poland in 2021.

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Published
2022-11-29
How to Cite
Mazurek, Emilia. 2022. “Higher Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Opinions of Students in Poland”. Tuning Journal for Higher Education 10 (1), 263-84. https://doi.org/10.18543/tjhe.2172.
Issue
Vol. 10 No. 1 (2022): Perspectives, stakeholders, and competences
Section
Special Section

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