Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Masters of Social Work Students
Location
SU 003
Department
Social Work
Abstract
In 2019, COVID-19 quickly spread across the world and shattered the current systems that educational institutions had relied upon, pressuring them to implement abrupt changes. In an effort to continue providing services while keeping students safe, many universities began to offer online learning. This study is a collaboration between Northeastern Illinois Universities (NEIU) and Governors State University (GSU) which seeks to understand how this shift impacted the lives of students and faculty in social work departments from both institutions. . Thus far, the study has collected data through online surveys, and will also include, at a later phase, qualitative data from online focus groups. The study’s final completion will be within an 8-12 month period. As students, we were invited to collaborate with the research team in all aspects of the study.. We found a gap in the number of studies examining the effects of COVID-19 on university students and faculty, especially in the United States. Nevertheless, available studies have shown that the pandemic has been associated with declines in mental health and many elements of individual daily functioning. Moreover, research suggests that the transition was particularly difficult for individuals living in with minimal privacy, poor internet connections, or limited technology. We report on preliminary data emerging from our sample of undergraduate and graduate social work students as well as field practice instructors. This new knowledge is particularly important to consider at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) as the populations served are predominantly from minoritized groups whose communities have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and are more likely to face barriers like the ones discussed above.
Faculty Sponsor
Patricia Aguado, Northeastern Illinois University
Faculty Sponsor
Noe Mojica, Northeastern Illinois University
Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Masters of Social Work Students
SU 003
In 2019, COVID-19 quickly spread across the world and shattered the current systems that educational institutions had relied upon, pressuring them to implement abrupt changes. In an effort to continue providing services while keeping students safe, many universities began to offer online learning. This study is a collaboration between Northeastern Illinois Universities (NEIU) and Governors State University (GSU) which seeks to understand how this shift impacted the lives of students and faculty in social work departments from both institutions. . Thus far, the study has collected data through online surveys, and will also include, at a later phase, qualitative data from online focus groups. The study’s final completion will be within an 8-12 month period. As students, we were invited to collaborate with the research team in all aspects of the study.. We found a gap in the number of studies examining the effects of COVID-19 on university students and faculty, especially in the United States. Nevertheless, available studies have shown that the pandemic has been associated with declines in mental health and many elements of individual daily functioning. Moreover, research suggests that the transition was particularly difficult for individuals living in with minimal privacy, poor internet connections, or limited technology. We report on preliminary data emerging from our sample of undergraduate and graduate social work students as well as field practice instructors. This new knowledge is particularly important to consider at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) as the populations served are predominantly from minoritized groups whose communities have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and are more likely to face barriers like the ones discussed above.