A1 Journal article (refereed)
International Master’s Degree Students’ Well-being at a Finnish University During COVID-19 (2020)

Pappa, S., Yada, T., & Perälä-Littunen, S. (2020). International Master’s Degree Students’ Well-being at a Finnish University During COVID-19. Open Education Studies, 2(1), 240-251. https://doi.org/10.1515/edu-2020-0128

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Pappa, Sotiria; Yada, Takumi; Perälä-Littunen, Satu

Journal or series: Open Education Studies

eISSN: 2544-7831

Publication year: 2020

Publication date: 01/01/2020

Volume: 2

Issue number: 1

Pages range: 240-251

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH

Publication country: Germany

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/edu-2020-0128

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/74510

Abstract

The rapid developments and consequences of the COVID-19 crisis for university students’ well-being are presently being studied across the world. This study contributes to the growing discourse on university students’ well-being by exploring changes in international Master’s degree students’ well-being in relation to the move to online teaching and learning at a Finnish university during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study draws on 37 answers to an open-ended question about remote teaching and learning at the end of a survey on university students’ stress. The text data were analysed conducting a preliminary quantitative content analysis and a more detailed thematic analysis, from which two themes were developed. The first theme concerned respondents’ well-being with regard to their friends and family, including the desire for human connection, ways of coping and health concerns. The second theme concerned respondents’ well-being with regard to their studies, including the importance of social life on campus, affected concentration and motivation, degree-related complications, and online teaching and supervision. The findings suggest that sociocultural well-being may extend beyond acculturation and that decreased psychological well-being has repercussions for international students’ studies. The study concludes with a discussion of the study’s limitations and practical implications.

Keywords: students; exchange students; foreign students; well-being; mental well-being; pandemics; COVID-19; online teaching; online study; sociocultural factors; interaction; social interaction; stress (biological phenomena); health; universities

Free keywords: international students; university students; psychological well-being; sociocultural adjustment; online teaching and learning

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2020

JUFO rating: 1