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The effect of COVID-19 on the well-being of first-year university students

Lize Vanderstraeten (UGent) , Evelien Opdecam (UGent) , Patricia Everaert (UGent) and Wim Beyers (UGent)
(2023) EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY. 43(5). p.407-429
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Abstract
Past studies have found that university students' well-being is relatively low, and that first-year students are specifically vulnerable. This issue has drawn particular attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines the effect of COVID-19 on the well-being, academic confidence, feeling of informedness, and self-efficacy of first-year university students. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal data were used. Survey data were collected from two cohorts of first-year students at a Belgian university (N = 997): a pre-covid cohort (N = 493) and a covid-affected cohort (N = 504). Data were gathered at two measurement moments for the pre-covid cohort and at four measurement moments for the covid-affected cohort. First, between-subject analyses (ANCOVA) revealed no significant effect of COVID-19 on students' well-being (p > .100), academic confidence (p > .100), and feeling of informedness (p > .100), on arrival at university. Three weeks later, however, the covid-affected cohort reported (marginally) lower well-being than the pre-covid cohort (p = .057, & eta;(2) = .01). Second, longitudinal analyses (repeated measures ANCOVA) on the covid-affected cohort revealed changes throughout the academic year in well-being (p < .001, & eta;(2)(p) = .39) and self-efficacy (p < .001, & eta;(2)(p) = .04). Well-being and self-efficacy decreased during the first semester (p < .001), and slightly recovered at the start of the second semester (p < .001). Educational implications on how to support students during their transition to higher education are discussed.
Keywords
COVID-19, first-year students, higher education, well-being, self-efficacy, SELF-EFFICACY, TRANSITION

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MLA
Vanderstraeten, Lize, et al. “The Effect of COVID-19 on the Well-Being of First-Year University Students.” EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY, vol. 43, no. 5, 2023, pp. 407–29, doi:10.1080/01443410.2023.2223787.
APA
Vanderstraeten, L., Opdecam, E., Everaert, P., & Beyers, W. (2023). The effect of COVID-19 on the well-being of first-year university students. EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY, 43(5), 407–429. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2023.2223787
Chicago author-date
Vanderstraeten, Lize, Evelien Opdecam, Patricia Everaert, and Wim Beyers. 2023. “The Effect of COVID-19 on the Well-Being of First-Year University Students.” EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 43 (5): 407–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2023.2223787.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Vanderstraeten, Lize, Evelien Opdecam, Patricia Everaert, and Wim Beyers. 2023. “The Effect of COVID-19 on the Well-Being of First-Year University Students.” EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 43 (5): 407–429. doi:10.1080/01443410.2023.2223787.
Vancouver
1.
Vanderstraeten L, Opdecam E, Everaert P, Beyers W. The effect of COVID-19 on the well-being of first-year university students. EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY. 2023;43(5):407–29.
IEEE
[1]
L. Vanderstraeten, E. Opdecam, P. Everaert, and W. Beyers, “The effect of COVID-19 on the well-being of first-year university students,” EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY, vol. 43, no. 5, pp. 407–429, 2023.
@article{01H2B1K0JS3NE83058G9X5RZX9,
  abstract     = {{Past studies have found that university students' well-being is relatively low, and that first-year students are specifically vulnerable. This issue has drawn particular attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines the effect of COVID-19 on the well-being, academic confidence, feeling of informedness, and self-efficacy of first-year university students. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal data were used. Survey data were collected from two cohorts of first-year students at a Belgian university (N = 997): a pre-covid cohort (N = 493) and a covid-affected cohort (N = 504). Data were gathered at two measurement moments for the pre-covid cohort and at four measurement moments for the covid-affected cohort. First, between-subject analyses (ANCOVA) revealed no significant effect of COVID-19 on students' well-being (p > .100), academic confidence (p > .100), and feeling of informedness (p > .100), on arrival at university. Three weeks later, however, the covid-affected cohort reported (marginally) lower well-being than the pre-covid cohort (p = .057, & eta;(2) = .01). Second, longitudinal analyses (repeated measures ANCOVA) on the covid-affected cohort revealed changes throughout the academic year in well-being (p < .001, & eta;(2)(p) = .39) and self-efficacy (p < .001, & eta;(2)(p) = .04). Well-being and self-efficacy decreased during the first semester (p < .001), and slightly recovered at the start of the second semester (p < .001). Educational implications on how to support students during their transition to higher education are discussed.}},
  author       = {{Vanderstraeten, Lize and Opdecam, Evelien and Everaert, Patricia and Beyers, Wim}},
  issn         = {{0144-3410}},
  journal      = {{EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY}},
  keywords     = {{COVID-19,first-year students,higher education,well-being,self-efficacy,SELF-EFFICACY,TRANSITION}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{407--429}},
  title        = {{The effect of COVID-19 on the well-being of first-year university students}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2023.2223787}},
  volume       = {{43}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}

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