Second Report in Series Offers Insights on Student and Faculty Perceptions of Instruction During the Pandemic

Title: Flexible and Adaptable: Teaching and Learning in A Year of Disruption

Source: NSSE

NSSE has released the second of three anticipated reports from 2021 survey data, presenting findings on the pandemic’s impact on student engagement, teaching, and learning.

Combing data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), findings from the second report give insights on student and faculty perceptions of instruction and learning as campuses adapted to pandemic challenges.

Key findings include:

• On the whole, students felt instruction was effective given the need for adaptability by faculty. Over half (56 percent) of students reported faculty taught in a way that aligned with their preference for learning.
  
• Faculty also felt instruction was effective, reporting relatively high engagement among various practices.
  
• Researchers also found a relationship between student engagement and perceptions of effective teaching practices. For example, students who reported more effective teaching from professors also had a greater perception of support from their institution.
  
• Regarding adaptability, 73 percent of students felt faculty and staff did a good job helping students navigate instructional changes throughout the pandemic, compared to 86 percent of faculty. Among faculty, 80 percent believed their institution did a good job helping students navigate changes brought on by the pandemic.
  
• Survey findings indicate that throughout the pandemic, faculty “significantly adjusted the nature of course assignments” (88 percent) and provided greater flexibility with due dates (89 percent).
  
• Given the realities of the pandemic, nearly all faculty reported they were learning to be more effective instructors (91.8 percent) and agreed they had increased efforts to connect with students (92.8 percent).
  
• During the pandemic, teaching, followed by family responsibilities, were reported most frequently by faculty as causing stress. Nearly half (49 percent) of faculty reported worsening sleep patterns and mental health.

Click here to read the findings and click here to access additional resources and reports.

—Danielle Melidona