Curricula restructuring; Online learning; Pandemic impacts; Student support; Teaching–learning relationships; Geography, Planning and Development; Economics and Econometrics; Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Abstract :
[en] The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted the life of millions of people around the world and brought changes in many contexts. In higher education institutions, teaching staff had to quickly adapt their teaching and research practices and revisit learning and student engagement strategies. In this context, this paper aimed to report on how the lockdowns influenced the work and lives of academic staff at universities. The methodology consisted of an online survey that collected 201 responses across 39 countries worldwide, and the results were explored using descriptive and exploratory modelling analyses. The findings reveal that the main positive aspect of the work-from-home experience during the lockdowns was the reduction of time spent on commuting, while the inability to disconnect and difficulties in work–life balance were the most commonly indicated negative aspects. The principal component analysis indicated that the pandemic had a moderate power in boosting academic staff towards sustainability, and an important potential of revising academic curricula and teaching–learning relationships. Based on the evidence gathered, recommendations to allow academic staff to better cope with the influence of future pandemics include the increased use of digital resources and new teaching styles, curricula revision for encouraging educators to include more issues related to sustainable development in their teaching and greater institutional support to reduce stressful conditions and improve productivity.
Disciplines :
Agriculture & agronomy
Author, co-author :
Leal Filho, Walter; Department of Natural Sciences, UK Consortium on Sustainability Research, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom ; European School of Sustainability Science and Research, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany
Wall, Tony; Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Salvia, Amanda Lange ; European School of Sustainability Science and Research, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany
Vasconcelos, Claudio Ruy; Department of Production Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil ; Algoritmi Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal
Abubakar, Ismaila Rimi; College of Architecture and Planning, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (Formerly, University of Dammam), Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Minhas, Aprajita; European School of Sustainability Science and Research, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany
Mifsud, Mark; Centre for Environmental Education & amp, Research, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
Kozlova, Valerija; Faculty of Business and Economics, RISEBA University of Applied Sciences, Riga, Latvia
Lovren, Violeta Orlovic; Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Azadi, Hossein ; Université de Liège - ULiège > TERRA Research Centre > Modélisation et développement
Sharifi, Ayyoob; Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan ; School of Architecture and Design, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
Kovaleva, Marina; European School of Sustainability Science and Research, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany
LeVasseur, Todd; School of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Charleston, Sustainability Literacy Institute, Charleston, United States
Luetz, Johannes; Graduate Research School, Alphacrucis University College (AC), Brisbane, Australia ; School of Law and Society, The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), Maroochydore, Australia ; School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia
Velazquez, Luis; Industrial Engineering Department, University of Sonora, Hermosillo, Mexico
Singh, Priyatma; Department of Science, School of Science and Technology, The University of Fiji, Lautoka, Fiji
Pretorius, Rudi; Department of Geography, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
Akib, Noor Adelyna Mohammed; Centre for Global Sustainability Studies (CGSS) and School of Biological Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
Savelyeva, Tamara; The Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development, Hong Kong
Brandli, Luciana; Graduate Program in Civil and Environment Engineering, University of Passo Fundo, São José, Passo Fundo, Brazil
Muthu, Nandhivarman; Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
Lombardi, Patrizia; Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
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