Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Transition from Baccalaureate to Higher Education: A Case Study

Abstract

This case study assesses the transition of students who have completed their baccalaureate in virtual mode to a face-to-face higher education model in the post-pandemic era. The proposed hypothesis suggests that the rapid transformation to virtual education due to the COVID-19 pandemic has harmed students' learning and academic performance, resulting in a decline in educational quality. A mixed methodology combining quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques was employed. For this purpose, an online questionnaire was applied to collect quantitative data and was complemented by a focus group technique to obtain more detailed qualitative data. The results supported the hypothesis, and it was concluded that the lack of social and emotional skills and the low quality of education received in virtual education may have left students in a difficult situation to adapt to face-to-face education in higher education.