A STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF EMERGENCY REMOTE EDUCATION ON THE ENGAGEMENT AND LEARNING OUTCOMES OF UNDERGRADUATE CHEMISTRY STUDENTS

ABSTRACT:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities established Emergency Remote Education (ERE), subjecting freshmen students to studying the first years of their degree remotely, possibly influencing school engagement and learning outcomes (i.e., the subjective satisfaction of the university experience). This study aimed to investigate the impact of ERE on engagement and its relationship with the learning outcomes of freshmen students in undergraduate Chemistry courses (Bachelor, Licentiate, and Industrial) using a mixed method with sequential triangulation. Structural Equation Modeling of data collected using psychometric scales demonstrated a direct effect of engagement on learning outcomes, with social dimensions being the most affected by ERE. The Content Analysis of Concept Maps (CMs) produced during interviews with students revealed a predominantly negative perspective on the impact of ERE on engagement and a neutral point of view considering learning outcomes.

Keywords:
Student engagement; Learning outcomes; Higher Education