Longwood Students attitudes towards new COVID-19 policies regarding social distancing
Sean C. Pinney
SOCL 345-01
Longwood University
Dr. JoEllen Pederson
November 24th, 2020
Abstract
Ever since the COVID-19 virus struck the United States back in January 2020, the general public has conducted research regarding how this virus has affected our society. This research began when the COVID-19 virus started to affect the higher education that was being carried out for the future of 2020. The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes of students at Longwood University, on their views towards new policy’s relating to social distancing. A survey was created to gather data from Longwood Students on their views relating to new COVID-19 policies at the University. This is a survey that consists of different worded questions relating to all types of new COVID-19 guidelines on Longwoods campus. This is a mixed data study that uses variables to indicate certain data. Qualitative data reveals data that was observed from open ended questions in the survey. The quantitative data is based off students ranking their opinions from 0-10, on a survey question regarding benefits to social distancing. Two themes that were examined very closely were the student’s mental health, and the impact that social distancing has had on their hybrid learning experience. The data has shown that many students are very overwhelmed with the social distancing policies, as it is affecting their hybrid learning experience. This has caused the mental health of many students to be negatively affected. This study will serve as a reference and example to future education developers when a crisis like COVID-19 arise again.
Introduction
COVID-19 is the flu-like virus that first originated in Wuhan China in 2019. This is a disease that affects the human’s respiratory system and is currently growing in numbers across the globe. This virus has proven to be very lethal as it currently has claimed the lives of over 1,400,000 individuals worldwide (worldometer, 2020). Ever since this massive outbreak, the world as a whole has taken many different approaches when trying to fix this issue. Massive countries like Italy, closed their doors and were forced to immediately shut down everything because the virus was spreading so fast. As the time pasted, the United States saw their numbers rise quickly. The virus starting to spread through major cities and massively affecting college campuses around the country. This meant their students were highly at risk of being infected by the virus.
The research problem that I tested in this evaluation research was how students responded to Longwood’s new COVID-19 policies. Not all policies, but policies that pertained to social distancing. No student at Longwood could have predicted the type of semester that was going to occur this fall. COVID-19 has changed the way students around the world have received their education this year. There have been many other studies around the world that have conducted the same type of research problem as I have. Not only is my research question pertaining to social distancing, it also reveals how student’s mental health and academic careers have been affected by the new COVID-19 policies. A study that was conducted on Pakistani college students, indicated that due to the countries funding and poverty rate, the students leaned towards a more traditional learning style without social distancing.
Throughout the research I did run into some limitations. The data that was collected was only from 416 Longwood students. The survey might have reached the students who decided to stay home for the semester. Students did have the option to stay home and complete their fall semester completely virtual. Due to their absence, some of the data could have been very different. Students who live fully at home currently could have had different opinions on the social distancing policy. They will have different opinions because they haven’t been on campus to experience these new COVID-19 guidelines like other students have. The main purpose of this research was to gather information that indicated Longwood University students’ attitudes towards social distancing polices. Then being able to use that data and discover how it’s affecting student’s mental health, and their hybrid learning.
Literature Review
The COVID-19 virus is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths in our country and over millions worldwide, Zheng, Ma, Zhang, and Xie (2020). The virus has also shown that it can affect the way students conduct themselves in their academic careers at their universities. Universities have implemented different policies to keep their student population as safe as possible. The student attitudes towards these COVID-19 regulations set by the university, is what the research is trying to evaluate to determine the level of satisfaction of the participants. COVID-19 is a flu like virus that disrupts the human respiratory system. Zheng, Ma, Zhang, and Xie (2020) demonstrated their knowledge on the virus by conducting research on how COVID-19 is affecting different enzymes of the respiratory system. Not only is the virus affecting the public’s health, it has also become a massive problem with interrupting the social and economic activities that take place daily in our society. The research that I will be examining covers how COVID-19 has impacted college campus with social distancing policies, public health concerns, and how social life has changed since the virus.
Public Health
Public health is one of the biggest concerns when talking about this virus. Ever since the virus was first confirmed in the united states, our nation has done everything it can to ensure the safety and protection of our citizens. Research conducted by Nishiga, Wang, Han, Lewis, and Wu (2020) describe how the COVID-19 virus is affecting our cardiovascular system. The research method that was used to gather their information was done by conducting experiments. Experiments showed that preexisting diseases among the public increases the likelihood of getting the virus. COVID-19 is known to attack the cardiovascular systems, damaging important enzymes that help the body recover (Zheng, Ma, Zhang, & Xie, 2020; Nishiga, Wang, Han, Lewis, & Wu, 2020). Both research methods were conducted through experiments that lead to the results of understanding how COVID-19 effects the public’s health.
College Involvement
COVID-19 has also affected more than just the public’s health. The virus has affected the way colleges campuses conduct their usual policies. Not only is it hurting the students, its effecting the enrollment numbers to each university. Andrew Kelly and Rooney Columbus conducted research on how student enrollments have started to decline since the virus struck the United States. Kelly & Columbus (2020) gathered their data by using surveys. In the spring of 2020, the surveys suggested that there would be a twenty percent decline in student enrollment in colleges around the United states. Congress estimated that the loss of these enrollments would represent a revenue loss of twenty-three billion dollars. Marek Tesar (2020) argues that COVID-19 is changing the way the world views higher education. How the normal procedures of meeting in classrooms have changed due to this virus. More and more classes and meetings are being conducted via Zoom. Tesar conducted his research through surveys that asked basic questions regarding returning to the normal world. Will education ever see its return to its normal self? Both these journals have similarities in their methodology. Both used surveys to test their theories on different issues regarding college life and COVID-19.
Hybrid Learning
Online learning is the new wave that the world is currently riding. With COVID-19, higher education has almost turned virtually online for students. Muhammad Adnan and Kainat Anwar (2020) conducted research on Pakistani virtual higher education. The research was conducted with samples of 162 students. These students were split up by male and female. A survey was then given to all students trying to figure out their attitudes towards online learning with COVID-19 being present. Results showed mixed attitudes towards online learning mostly due to the lack of access to internet connection. Tai Tang, Atef Abuhmaid, Melad Olaimat, Dana Oudat, Magad Aldhaeebi & Ebrahim Bamanger (2020) also conducted research on how online learning is changing. Their research was conducted to get feedback from students on how effective new online teaching models are. Are the new online teaching models helping students or making it more difficult to learn? The research method used to gather the data was through surveys. A group of undergraduate students at Chengdu University of Information Technology were given a survey with questions about new online teaching models. When comparing both these journals, the research was very similar. Not only the results but their choice of methodology was also the same.
Life after COVID-19
Common questions that so many people are asking today is will the world ever be the same again? How will life be after COVID-19 is gone? Will the social lives of every citizen still have limitations? Guglielmo Briscese, Nicola Lacetera, Mario Macis & Mirco Tonin (2020) conducted research on the attitudes of Italians living in isolation. The main goal was to gain information on their willingness to comply with social distancing restrictions. Italy was one of the first major countries that saw massive growth in COVID-19 cases. The country was practically shut down and their citizens were required to self-isolate and stay away from one another. The authors took prime advantage of this situation and created a survey to gather their data from a small sample of Italians. The survey simply asked for the Italians opinions and willingness to follow the restricted guidelines. The restricted guidelines almost completely ended all social interactions with people other than your own family. Kristina Murphy, Harley Williamson & Elise Sargeant (2020) researched if it’s our own self-interest or duty to socially distance our self’s and comply with the regulations put on us. If the public complies with the restrictions will the world get to go back to our normal social lives? To gain the data, a survey was given through Facebook to over 1600 Australians. The survey was anonymous. The results of the survey proved that most people are still going outside and socializing with the restrictions. Both articles discuss and research similar issues. Social distancing and following the restricted guidelines are going to play a massive role in rebuilding our social lives. Complying with the rules is what’s going to help our world when the pandemic passes.
Data and Methods
Sample
The sample of our research project is going to be all of students that attend Longwood University. Our questionnaire asks about new COVID-19 policies that relate to academic success, health concerns and how classes are presented to students. We are using google forums and our samples will be emailed a link to complete the survey.
Quantitative Data
The quantitative data that I used for my research was my question that I used for my independent variable. The overall number of responses that was received from the survey was 416. My quantitative data comes from students answering the question on how beneficial they view longwood policies on COVID-19. “On a scale from 0-10, how beneficial do you think the policies Longwood enacted are at preventing the spread of COVID-19″? 0 being not at all, and 10 being extremely satisfied.
My dependent variable data asked my sample if they knew any students who have attended social gatherings that broke the Longwood social distancing policy. “Do you know any Longwood student who has attended a social event with more than 50 people that were not socially distancing on or near campus this semester”? Yes, No, maybe or prefer not to say. These variables are properly worded so I could gather data that would answer my research question. I used descriptive statistics and figures like graphs and pie charts to analyze our close ended survey questions.
Qualitative Data
The survey gave the samples two open ended questions throughout the survey. These are questions that are important to get individual feedback from each sample. We recruited our sample’s by using the research question as a guide. The research question relates to all longwood students. This is how I was able to recruit our sample. The total number of responses that was had for the open-ended question section was 416 responses. I analyzed the open-ended questions by using an open coded approach looking for themes in written responses.
Quantitative Findings
My data results from my dependent variable indicated that 199 respondents said no, 167 said yes, 53 said maybe and 13 respondents refused to answer the question. My dependent variable was asking the respondents if they have attended a social event at Longwood that hosted more than 50 people. Table 1 below shows the total amount of responses for each category of students who responded to attending a social event with more than 50 people.
My independent variable data was conducted on how the respondents viewed the Longwood COVID-19 policies on social distancing. The questions asked them to rate how beneficial they saw the polices from 0 to 10. The results showed a mean average of 6.44 among all respondents, and a standard deviation of 2.40. This indicates that Longwood Students are somewhere in the middle with how beneficial they see Longwoods policies on reducing the spread of COVID-19.
Table 2 below indicates the mean of each category’s response from the respondents. The mean average for respondent who replied yes was 5.92. The following mean average was 6.91 for respondents who answered no. Finally followed by a 6.75 mean average for respondents who answered maybe.
Table 1
Percent of Students who have attended a social event with more than 50 students
| Number of student’s responses | Count | Percent |
| Yes | 167 | 38.66 |
| No | 199 | 46.10 |
| Maybe | 53 | 12.27 |
| No answer | 13 | 3.00 |
Note. N=432
Table 2
Mean percentage of student who have attended social events with more than 50 students
Qualitative Findings
Survey results indicate different opinions relating to attitudes towards policy on social distancing. These opinions were voiced in the surveys open ended question sections. These questions asked Longwood students their views on how their semester has gone so far. When analyzing the qualitative data, there were many different themes. One theme that was encountered was the student’s mental health and how the social distancing has kept them from meeting people and living a normal college lifestyle. The second theme was students’ view on social distancing and how it’s affecting their hybrid learning environment. These two themes best answered my research question involving students views on mental health, and their view on how social distancing is affecting their learning with hybrid classes.
Mental Health
The qualitative data indicated that many students are very overwhelmed with the social distancing policies. This policy has denied students to go out and be social with their friends. It has made things harder for freshman who have just come to Longwood and want to meet new people. Social distancing has overwhelmed many students who already suffer with mental health disabilities.
These are some examples of quotes from Longwood students that have had their mental health affected by the social distancing policy. “Due to the policies Longwood has put in place, it has had an extreme negative effect on my mental health and sense of belonging and increased my feeling of isolation and anxiety” (Respondent 251). This student is clearly stating that the new policy is affecting their mental health. “I don’t feel connected to this school, I haven’t made any friends, and I struggle with my mental health. I feel bored because it’s as though nothing is happening, and I don’t know anyone to do things with” (Respondent 107). This is another example of a student who doesn’t feel like they have connected with other students due to the social distancing policy.
I feel like as student athletes we are forced to juggle a lot and could afford more off days/ mental health days. I feel like we are faced with the most stress and responsibility and one extra off day could alleviate half that stress (Respondent 169).
I think it is unfair that Longwood removed breaks from the semester. I understand wanting to keep people safe and by eliminating breaks they were discouraging people from going home, but people go home anyway. It seems unnecessary and has had a negative impact on my mental health and many other students that I have talked with. (Respondent 199).
These are just four examples of what students had to say about their mental health regarding Longwoods new policies on COVID-19. Lots of students are claiming that due to these new policies on social distancing, they are not able to meet new people or feel connected to the school. There are some student athletes who feel like their days were hard enough before COVID-19. With these new polices, their days are much harder with having to juggle school and athletics with the new polices. These four were similar to each other because they all tied back into affecting the student’s mental health.
Social Distancing involving Hybrid Learning
The qualitative data also indicated that some students are starting to feel less comfortable with the hybrid learning environment. Now that social distancing policies have been implemented, hybrid learning has been the new normal for Longwood students this semester. Some students don’t like the hybrid learning classes and claim that they don’t work as well as the original teaching model of being in person. “I feel like if I’m not in person, I am not getting all the information. I feel more focused and comfortable in an in-person format” (Respondent 047). This student is clearly stating that the new hybrid learning model is not as comfortable as the in-person model. “Yes, I have problems focusing on information during zoom class at home. I definitely do better in classes in person and miss the regular format” (Respondent 073). This student is stating that hybrid learning has caused them to lose attention during class.
I think the social distancing aspects of my classes are working well as we are all spaced out, but it’s also kind of hypocritical. When I go to clinical, I ride with the same 4 people in a care for 1 hour and 30 minutes, but I can’t stand near them in my actual clinical setting. It’s kind of the same thing when it comes to roommates. I have to stay 6 feet apart from the people I live with in class, but we live together so if one of us had it, we definitely all would (Respondent 228).
All these quotes show that some Longwood students are not in favor of the new social distancing policies. Students are finding themselves not focusing on the material, which is causing more damage to their mental health. The findings indicate that some Longwood students are better off with the original way of learning. Longwoods policies on social distancing are affecting some students in a negative way that was not intended. Longwood has done the best job it possibly can, to satisfy as many students during this difficult time period.
Conclusion
After many months of research and gathering data. The main point behind all this research is to examine the Longwood student body’s attitudes towards their new COVID-19 polices. It’s not very common that a worldwide pandemic will occur very often. COVID-19 has given so many people the opportunity to research and measure new things that they never thought would be possible. My research is unique to itself because it pertains solely to Longwood University. People in ten years might look back at research done during this time and think about what went right, and what went wrong. My findings during this research suggest that some Longwood students have determined the COVID-19 policies beneficial, while other students still have their doubts of whether they are working.
With an average mean of 6.44 regarding to students who said the new Longwood COVID-19 policies are beneficial, I saw that students seem to be very split in the middle when it comes to how beneficial they see the new COVID-19 guidelines relating to social distancing. My research then indicated that some Longwood Students have been ignoring the new social distancing policies and have been attending social functions with more than 50 people. All my data eventually ties back into what I thought was the big picture for my research. I found figuring out student attitudes toward these new policies really does matter. It matters because this pandemic is something new to the entire world. If something like this ever happens again in the future, we will now have experience and feedback on what to improve on for the future.
References
Adnan, M. ERIC, Online Learning amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Students’ Perspectives. Retrieved September 26, 2020, from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED606496
Briscese, G., Lacetera, N., Macis, M., & Tonin, M. (2020, March 27). Compliance with COVID-19 Social-Distancing Measures in Italy: The Role of Expectations and Duration. Retrieved September 26, 2020, from https://www.nber.org/papers/w26916
Kelly, A., & Columbus, R. (2020). (Rep.). American Enterprise Institute. doi:10.2307/resrep25358
Kristina Murphy, H. (2020). Why people comply with COVID-19 social distancing restrictions: Self-interest or duty? – Kristina Murphy, Harley Williamson, Elise Sargeant, Molly McCarthy, 2020. Retrieved September 26, 2020, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0004865820954484
Murphy, K., Williamson, H., Sargeant, E., & Mccarthy, M. (2020). Why people comply with COVID-19 social distancing restrictions: Self-interest or duty? Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 000486582095448. doi:10.1177/0004865820954484
Tang, T., Abuhmaid, A. M., Olaimat, M., Oudat, D. M., Aldhaeebi, M., & Bamanger, E. (2020). Efficiency of flipped classroom with online-based teaching under COVID-19. Interactive Learning Environments, 1-12. doi:10.1080/10494820.2020.1817761
Tesar, M. (2020). Towards a Post-Covid-19 ‘New Normality?’: Physical and Social Distancing, the Move to Online and Higher Education – Marek Tesar, 2020. Retrieved September 26, 2020, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1478210320935671
X; Z. (2020). COVID-19 and the cardiovascular system. Retrieved September 26, 2020, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32139904/