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https://doi.org/10.18502/gespr.v3i2.12615
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authors
- Martina Dickson
-
Rehab Al Hakmani
Rehab Al Hakmani
Emirates College for Advanced Education
-
Melissa McMinn
Melissa McMinn
Zayed University
-
Jessica Midraj
Jessica Midraj
Khalifa University
-
Deena Elsori
Deena Elsori
Rabdan Academy
-
Prospera Tedam
Prospera Tedam
UAE University
Published Date
- Jan 16, 2023
University Student-parents’ Experiences in the UAE during COVID-19: Future Implications for Higher Education
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020 and threw higher education institutions worldwide into a rapid transition from face-to-face to online learning modes. While students everywhere were grappling with the changes to their learning experiences, those with parenting responsibilities had additional pressures. This study investigated how university student-parents across the United Arab Emirates experienced the change, and their perceptions of the impact of COVID- 19 on their studies. One hundred seventy-five students responded to a questionnaire exploring domains such as their domestic set-up for study, levels of support from family and their institutions, and the situation’s impact on their learning, well-being, and peer and instructor interactions. It was found that while many students relished being more involved with their children’s online schoolwork, this caused tremendous strain for some. Many students had responsibility for at least one child beside them as they studied, leading to multiple distractions that affected their learning and ability to meet deadlines. While most students reported keeping up social support networks with peers, a majority also stated feeling less supported academically by peers and faculty. Many students also felt that their mental health and wellbeing had been diminished due to the situation. The implications of the findings to higher education are discussed.
Keywords:
Students, Parents, Higher education, Caring responsibilities, Support, COVID-19, Blended learning
References
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[18] Mahaffey, B. A., Hungerford, G., & Sill, S. (2015). College student mother needs at regional campuses: An exploratory study. AURCO, 21, 105–115. https://aurco.org/journals/AURCO_Journal_2015/Mahaffey.pdf
[19] Manze, M. G., Rauh, L., Smith-Faust, P., & Watnick, D. (2021). Experiences of college students with children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging Adulthood, 9(5), 631–638. https://doi.org/10.1177/21676968211020225
[20] Maymon, R., Hall, N. C., & Harley, J. M. (2019). Supporting first-year students during the transition to higher education: The importance of quality and source of received support for student well-being. Student Success, 10(3), 64. https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.v10i3.1407
[21] Perales, F., Baxter, J., & Tai, T. O. (2015). Gender, justice and work: A distributive approach to perceptions of housework fairness. Social Science Research, 51, 51– 63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2014.12.010
[22] Procentese, F., Capone, V., Caso, D., Donizzetti, A., & Gatti, F. (2020). Academic community in the face of emergency situations: Sense of responsible togetherness and sense of belonging as protective factors against academic stress during COVID- 19 outbreak. Sustainability, 12(22), 9718. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229718
[23] Ricco, R., Sabet, S., & Clough, C. (2008). College mothers in the dual roles of student and parent: Implications for their children’s’ attitudes toward school. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 55(1), 79–110. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23096278
[24] Rockinson-Szapkiw, A. J., Spaulding, L. S., & Lunde, R. (2017). Women in distance doctoral programs: How they negotiate their identities as mothers, professionals and academics in order to persist. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 12(7), 50–72. https://doi.org/10.28945/3671
[25] Sangawe, I. S. (2020). The experiences of undergraduate student mothers in balancing between studies and mothering: A case of the University of Dodoma [Doctoral dissertation]. The University of Dodoma. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12661/2760
[26] Savage, S. (2021). The experience of mothers as university students and preservice teachers during Covid-19: recommendations for ongoing support. Studies in Continuing Education, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2021.1994938\
[27] Savitsky, B., Findling, Y., Ereli, A., & Hendel, T. (2020). Anxiety and coping strategies among nursing students during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nurse Education in Practice, 46, 102809. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2020.102809
[28] Sonbol, H., Alahdal, H. M., Alanazi, R. A., Alsamhary, K., & Ameen, F. (2021). COVID- 19 pandemic causing depression in different sociodemographic groups in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(13), 6955. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18136955
[29] Thomas, J., Raynor, M., & Al-Marzooqi, A. (2012). Marital status and gender as predictors of undergraduate academic performance: A United Arab Emirates context. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives, 9(2). http://lthe.zu.ac.ae/
[30] Tukey, J. W. (1977). Exploratory data analysis. Addison-Wesley.
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[2] Alkhamees, A. A., Alrashed, S. A., Alzunaydi, A. A., Almohimeed, A. S., & Aljohani, M. S. (2020). The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the general population of Saudi Arabia. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 102(152192). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2020.152192
[3] Alsalman, A., Mubarak, H., Aljabal, M., Abdulnabi, M., Ishaq, A., Yusuf, A., Nicola Luigi Bragazzi, N. L., & Jahrami, H. (2020). The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the population of Bahrain. Social Science Research Network, 91(4). https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v91i4.10336
[4] Arowoshola, L. (2020). Medical education engagement during the COVID-19 era–A student parents’ perspective. Medical Education Online, 25(1), 1788799. https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2020.1788799
[5] Cheikh, I. L., Mohamad, M. N., Bataineh, M. A. F., Ajab, A., Al-Marzouqi, A. M., Jarrar, A. H., Abu Jamous, D. O., Ali, H. I., Al Sabbah, H., Hasan, H., Stojanovska, L., Hashim, M., Shaker Obaid, R. R., Saleh, S. T., Osaili, T. M., & Al Dhaheri, A. S. (2021). Impact of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) lockdown on mental health and well-being in the United Arab Emirates. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 265. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.633230
[6] Cruse, L. R., Contreras Mendez, S., & Holtzman, T. (2020). Student parents in the COVID-19 pandemic: Heightened need & the imperative for strengthened support. # C492. Institute for Women’s Policy Research. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED612659.pdf
[7] Dickson, M. (2019). Student mothers’ experiences of workplace internship. Journal of Workplace Learning, 31(7), 465–480. https://doi.org/10.1108/JWL-12-2018-0151
[8] Dickson, M., & Tennant, L. (2017). The accommodation I make is turning a blind eye’: Faculty support for student mothers in higher education. Studies in Continuing Education, 40(1), 76–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2017.1392296
[9] Dickson, M., & Tennant, L. (2019). Emirati university student mothers post-childbirth: Support systems in the home. Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education, 12(1), 88–105. https://doi.org/10.1080/19407882.2018.1533479
[10] El-Zoghby, S. M., Soltan, E. M., Salama, H. M. (2020). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and social support among adult Egyptians. Journal of Community Health, 45, 689–95. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-020-00853-5
[11] Gelles, L. A., Lord, S. M., Hoople, G. D., Chen, D. A., & Mejia, J. A. (2020). Compassionate flexibility and self-discipline: Student adaptation to emergency remote teaching in an integrated engineering energy course during COVID- 19. Education Sciences, 10(11), 304. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10110304
[12] Hassan, S., Algahtani, F. D., Zrieq, R., Aldhmadi, B. K., Atta, A., Obeidat, R. M., & Kadri, A. (2021). Academic self-perception and course satisfaction among university students taking virtual classes during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Kingdom of Saudi- Arabia (KSA). Education Sciences, 11(3), 134. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11030134
[13] Hutchinson, S. A., Wilson, M. E., & Wilson, H. S. (1994). Benefits of participating in research interviews. The Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 26(2), 161–166. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1547-5069.1994.tb00937.x
[14] Kulp, A. M. (2020). Parenting on the path to the professoriate: A focus on graduate student mothers. Research in Higher Education, 61(3), 408–429. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-019-09561-z
[15] Lantsoght, E. O., Crepaldi, Y. T., Tavares, S. G., Leemans, K., & Paig-Tran, E. M. (2021). Challenges and opportunities for academic parents during COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.645734
[16] Lin, H. C., Zeanah, P. L., Olivier, D. F., Bergeron, M. A., & Liu, C. H. (2020). Responding to the pressing yet unrecognized needs of student-parents amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of American College Health, 70(8), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1870474
[17] Lynch, K. D. (2008). Gender roles and the American academe: A case study of graduate student mothers. Gender and Education, 20(6), 585–605. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540250802213099
[18] Mahaffey, B. A., Hungerford, G., & Sill, S. (2015). College student mother needs at regional campuses: An exploratory study. AURCO, 21, 105–115. https://aurco.org/journals/AURCO_Journal_2015/Mahaffey.pdf
[19] Manze, M. G., Rauh, L., Smith-Faust, P., & Watnick, D. (2021). Experiences of college students with children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging Adulthood, 9(5), 631–638. https://doi.org/10.1177/21676968211020225
[20] Maymon, R., Hall, N. C., & Harley, J. M. (2019). Supporting first-year students during the transition to higher education: The importance of quality and source of received support for student well-being. Student Success, 10(3), 64. https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.v10i3.1407
[21] Perales, F., Baxter, J., & Tai, T. O. (2015). Gender, justice and work: A distributive approach to perceptions of housework fairness. Social Science Research, 51, 51– 63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2014.12.010
[22] Procentese, F., Capone, V., Caso, D., Donizzetti, A., & Gatti, F. (2020). Academic community in the face of emergency situations: Sense of responsible togetherness and sense of belonging as protective factors against academic stress during COVID- 19 outbreak. Sustainability, 12(22), 9718. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229718
[23] Ricco, R., Sabet, S., & Clough, C. (2008). College mothers in the dual roles of student and parent: Implications for their children’s’ attitudes toward school. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 55(1), 79–110. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23096278
[24] Rockinson-Szapkiw, A. J., Spaulding, L. S., & Lunde, R. (2017). Women in distance doctoral programs: How they negotiate their identities as mothers, professionals and academics in order to persist. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 12(7), 50–72. https://doi.org/10.28945/3671
[25] Sangawe, I. S. (2020). The experiences of undergraduate student mothers in balancing between studies and mothering: A case of the University of Dodoma [Doctoral dissertation]. The University of Dodoma. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12661/2760
[26] Savage, S. (2021). The experience of mothers as university students and preservice teachers during Covid-19: recommendations for ongoing support. Studies in Continuing Education, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2021.1994938\
[27] Savitsky, B., Findling, Y., Ereli, A., & Hendel, T. (2020). Anxiety and coping strategies among nursing students during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nurse Education in Practice, 46, 102809. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2020.102809
[28] Sonbol, H., Alahdal, H. M., Alanazi, R. A., Alsamhary, K., & Ameen, F. (2021). COVID- 19 pandemic causing depression in different sociodemographic groups in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(13), 6955. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18136955
[29] Thomas, J., Raynor, M., & Al-Marzooqi, A. (2012). Marital status and gender as predictors of undergraduate academic performance: A United Arab Emirates context. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives, 9(2). http://lthe.zu.ac.ae/
[30] Tukey, J. W. (1977). Exploratory data analysis. Addison-Wesley.
[31] Wolgemuth, J. R., Erdil-Moody, Z., Opsal, T., Cross, J. E., Kaanta, T., Dickmann, E. M., & Colomer, S. (2015). Participants’ experiences of the qualitative interview: Considering the importance of research paradigms. Qualitative Research, 15(3), 351– 372. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794114524222