The Views of Undergraduate Students and Faculty Members: Distance Education during COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the views of undergraduate students studying in and their faculty members teaching in distance education during COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of 35 undergraduate students and 34 faculty members. The 'typical case sampling' method was used for selection of participants from different faculties of a foundation trust university in Türkiye. Sampling continued until theoretical saturation (until no new information was obtained from participants). Data was collected through online focus group interviews. Data was analyzed inductively by repetitive data collection cycles, data coding with multi-step processes and comparative analysis. Findings revealed negative, neutral and positive metaphors which described distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, these metaphors indicated the existence of a continuum in the form of three higher order categories including the Experience of Loss, Transformation and Neutrality under which a number of themes and sub-themes were present. The present findings present a user-derived evidence base for improving distance education and therefore these findings could be considered as targets for systems aiming at improving distance education that would be delivered in the future in similar difficult circumstances.