"Back to Normal": Undergraduate Perspectives on Regaining Motivation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: The Developmental Consequences of COVID-19 and a Look Ahead

Abstract

The current investigation used mixed method approach to uncover undergraduate perspectives on their change academic motivation during the covid-19 pandemic. The study found four specific themes. Undergraduate students (N= 61) completed an online survey during the 2021-2022 academic year. Students reported that their initial decline in motivation in spring of 2020 was due to feeling non-accountable for their work in online learning. However, their motivation increased once they resumed in-person learning. Interacting with students in the classroom was directly related to regaining motivation. The act of going back to in-person learning seemed to facilitate a return to routine, which in turn helped students feel “back to normal” thus regaining their motivation to achieve in the classroom.

Author

• Helena Mawdsley, University of Florida
  Presenting Author