Students' Persistence in Introductory Psychology Amid the COVID-19 Outbreak

• In Event: Higher Education and Learning in the COVID-19 Context

Abstract

This study examined how undergraduates (N = 153, M age = 19.33, 58.8% female) in an Introductory Psychology course taught in New York City experienced the transition to online teaching in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rates of online homework submission were examined before, during, and after the transition to online learning. Gender and race/ethnicity predicted the likelihood of students submitting online homework at specific times. Responses to an open-ended question suggest that students struggled to learn online, especially because of issues in maintaining adequate internet connection. These findings elucidate how the abrupt transition disadvantaged certain students, thus informing efforts towards more equitable access to education, even in the midst of a crisis.

Authors

• Teresa M. Ober, University of Notre Dame

• Jessica Elena Brodsky, The City University of New York

• Arshia K. Lodhi, College of Staten Island

• Patricia J. Brooks, City College of New York - CUNY