The Role of Online vs Face-to-Face Learning Environments in Academic Engagement Profiles: A Comparative Study During and Post Lockdown

Abstract

The objective of this study was to contrast engagement profiles in Colombian university students in two distinct educational contexts, the online education promoted by the lockdown and the face-to-face classroom environment, in order to understand possible differences between the groups. For this purpose, 742 university students were evaluated in two educational contexts: the online education during the COVID-19 lockdown and the subsequent face-to-face classroom environment. The sample consisted of Colombian university students between 18 and 25 years old, of middle and low socioeconomic level. As to the methodological approach, a pre- and post-test comparison was done first, followed by a cluster analysis which allowed to define four profiles based on participants' scores on the UWES-S scale (Student Academic Engagement Scale). Multiple comparisons showed significant differences in the levels of vigor, absorption, and among the four engagement profiles: high, medium, in process, and low. The results showed that the group of students with higher scores was composed of participants in both virtual and face-to-face modalities. However, the groups with lower scores were made up of students in the online modality mainly, indicating a pattern where virtual schooling imposed during lockdown was associated with lower motivation for learning. In the analyses by gender, females presented higher levels than males in both teaching contexts.