Identifying student profiles based on their attitudes and beliefs towards online education and exploring relations with their experiences and background

Banihashem S. K., Noroozi O., den Brok P., Biemans H. J., Stevens T., Güney Ş.

Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 2023 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/14703297.2023.2227616
  • Journal Name: Innovations in Education and Teaching International
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, IBZ Online, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), INSPEC, Psycinfo, DIALNET
  • Keywords: attitudes and beliefs, Covid-19, online education experience, student background characteristics, student profiles
  • Gazi University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This exploratory study aims to identify student profiles based on their attitudes and beliefs towards online education during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then relate these profiles to students’ online education experiences and background characteristics. To do this, in 2020, 676 students from a Dutch university were asked to complete a survey about their attitudes and beliefs towards and experiences with online education, and their background characteristics. By using cluster analysis, three main student profiles were identified: (P1) relaxed/positive students, (P2) stressed/negative students, and (P3) somewhat stressed/neutral students. The results showed that student profiles were related to their online education experiences but that profiles did not differ in terms of background characteristics such as age and gender. The results of this study guide educational institutions to better support their targeted students within online education contexts. We discuss these results and provide an agenda for future research and practice.