The challenges faced by higher education students and their expectations during COVID-19 in Portugal

Abstract

This article reports on a study about higher education students’ perceptions of the teaching situation in Portugal during the pandemic, with the purpose of investigating: (i) what challenges did students feel?; (ii) how did institutions provide support to students?; and (iii) what expectations do students have about the continuity of their academic path and of higher education? The study was developed through a questionnaire distributed online and sent to the student associations. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and frequency statistics. Additionally, a categorical content analysis was performed for the qualitative data. A total of 694 students participated in the study. The results show that the main challenges felt by the students were related to the assessment of learning, that higher education institutions were little or not prepared for an emergency, and that the support given to students was mostly through the professors. Most students felt that the pandemic will have quite an impact on their academic paths and on the organization and functioning of higher education, highlighting a belief in the adoption of online or blended learning. It was concluded that it is necessary to invest in pedagogical training for Portuguese higher education teachers, namely, to teach using digital technologies.