Analysis of the effects of perceived quality differences between adequacy for emergency remote education and return to traditional in-person education
Quality Assurance in Education
ISSN: 0968-4883
Article publication date: 18 December 2023
Issue publication date: 9 January 2024
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to evaluate the suitability of emergency remote education (ERE) during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently during the return to in-person education (IPE), investigating aspects of perceived quality differences in these transitions that may have impacted the students’ learning process.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applied a 41-item instrument to undergraduate students in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Brazil. For the suitability group, 493 responses were collected, and for the return to IPE group, 187 responses were collected. Three calibration approaches were performed using item response theory, with the first two adjusting data independently, and the third one involving a multigroup estimation.
Findings
During ERE, students perceived an increase in course offerings, better organization of classes and more study materials. However, the larger volume of content posed challenges in class monitoring, content comprehension and concentration. Upon returning to IPE, students noticed more organized assessments and activities. They found favorable test environments and collaborative tasks with peers, but they experienced difficulties in accessing professors and with class/content organization.
Practical implications
By identifying the most suitable items for both teaching formats, HEIs can enhance teaching practices that are more satisfactory from the students’ perspective.
Originality/value
This study provides an item ranking procedure inspired by differential item functioning and differential test functioning statistics. In an atypical situation, the item ranking procedure demonstrated its ability to generate useful information for identifying and quantifying the longitudinal effects of perceived quality on students.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the Federal Rural University of the Amazon for assisting the preparation of this manuscript, the students involved in the focus groups and the execution of the pre-test and the judges for their contributions.
Ethical Approval: The research followed the National Health Council Resolution No. 466, of December 12, 2012. Thus, the free and informed consent form was applied, guaranteeing the confidentiality and ethics of research involving human beings. This research was approved by the ethics committee according to opinion No. CAAE 46373021.6.0000.5110.
Data availability statement: The data sets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Funding: Not applicable.
Conflict of Interest Statement: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Citation
Fernandes, R.d.S., Luz, R.M.d.N., Silva, J.M.d. and Andrade, D.F.d. (2024), "Analysis of the effects of perceived quality differences between adequacy for emergency remote education and return to traditional in-person education", Quality Assurance in Education, Vol. 32 No. 1, pp. 141-162. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-01-2023-0005
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited