No abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic affected student well-being through measures such as closing educational institutions and social distancing, which forced universities to adapt the student learning environment. Previous research has demonstrated that the learning environment influences student well-being by satisfying their basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The present study therefore aimed to investigate, against the background of the pandemic, (1) how the basic psychological needs related to student well-being, (2) how students perceived interaction within the academic system, and (3) how they would like the “new educational normal” to look. To address these aims, we implemented a cross-sectional survey which included both quantitative measures and qualitative open-ended questions and distributed it at a Dutch university (n = 653). To identify the predictive strength of need satisfaction and frustration, we ran multiple regressions. We found that need satisfaction and frustration were significantly related to the well-being measures, of which relatedness was only weakly related to student well-being. Moreover, students reported restricted interactions with their teachers and fellow students, leading to feelings of disconnectedness, as well as struggles to establish or maintain relationships. In contrast with the quantitative findings, students highlighted relatedness as an essential, currently lacking part of their experience. They suggested a potential hybrid learning environment with a focus on social cohesion. This study emphasizes the relevance of interpersonal connections within higher education and provides practical ideas for post-pandemic academic structures. These insights can support systemic investments of universities in student well-being and creating a healthier learning environment for the future.

Given the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students’ well-being, investigating how they experienced this challenging period could help universities support students in post-pandemic times. We therefore investigated as a first research aim which factors helped students handle the pandemic – in particular, intolerance to uncertainty, self-compassion, attention regulation, and resilience as predictors of student well-being. Furthermore, going through adversity involves a process of meaning making regarding the challenging period just endured. To this end, we explored post-traumatic growth (PTG) and specific insights students took away from the pandemic as second and third research aim. Using a mixed-method design, we administered a survey including both scales to assess the individual factors and PTG and open-ended questions on students’ positive and negative insights. Multiple regression revealed self-compassion and attention regulation as the most significant protective factors for overall and emotional well-being, followed by resilience. In addition, entering PTG into the regression did not account for a meaningful increase of explained variance, though it significantly predicted well-being. Specifically, the subscales relating to others, life values, and opportunities exhibited predictive strength. Students’ qualitative responses consistently emphasised aspects of PTG, particularly highlighting increased appreciation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional positive and negative insights indicated themes of education, physical and mental well-being, social life, and society. These findings emphasise the role of certain individual factors and illustrate first insights into potential long-term growth, thus offering crucial information for higher education institutions to foster student well-being in post-pandemic times.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected student well-being, because measures such as closing educational institutions and social distancing have forced universities to adapt their learning environment. Previous research has demonstrated that the learning environment influences student well-being by satisfying their basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The present study is therefore aimed to investigate, first, how the basic psychological needs relate to student well-being, second, how students perceive interaction within the academic system, and third, how they would like the ”new educational normal” to look. To this end, we implemented a cross-sectional survey, which includes both quantitative measures and qualitative open questions, and distributed it at a Dutch university (n = 653). To identify the predictive strength of need satisfaction and frustration, we calculated multiple regressions. Need satisfaction and frustration relate to the well-being measures. However, relatedness correlates least with student well-being. Moreover, students report restricted interactions with their teachers and fellow students, leading to a feeling of being disconnected and struggles to establish or maintain relationships. In contrast with the quantitative findings, students highlight relatedness as an essential, currently lacking part of their experience. They suggest a potential hybrid learning environment with a focus on social cohesion.This study emphasises the relevance of interpersonal connections within higher education and provides practical ideas for a post-pandemic academic structures. These insights can support universities’ systemic investments in student well-being and creating a healthier learning environment for the future.