Abstract

Past studies have found that university students’ well-being is relatively low, and that first-year students are specifically vulnerable. This issue has drawn particular attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines the effect of COVID-19 on the well-being, academic confidence, feeling of informedness, and self-efficacy of first-year university students. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal data were used. Survey data were collected from two cohorts of first-year students at a Belgian university (N = 997): a pre-covid cohort (N = 493) and a covid-affected cohort (N = 504). Data were gathered at two measurement moments for the pre-covid cohort and at four measurement moments for the covid-affected cohort. First, between-subject analyses (ANCOVA) revealed no significant effect of COVID-19 on students’ well-being (p > .100), academic confidence (p > .100), and feeling of informedness (p > .100), on arrival at university. Three weeks later, however, the covid-affected cohort reported (marginally) lower well-being than the pre-covid cohort (p = .057, η² = .01). Second, longitudinal analyses (repeated measures ANCOVA) on the covid-affected cohort revealed changes throughout the academic year in well-being (p < .001, η_p² = .39) and self-efficacy (p < .001, η_p² = .04). Well-being and self-efficacy decreased during the first semester (p < .001), and slightly recovered at the start of the second semester (p < .001). Educational implications on how to support students during their transition to higher education are discussed.

摘要

过去的研究发现，大学生的幸福感相对较低，一年级学生尤其容易受到影响。这个问题在 COVID-19 大流行期间引起了特别关注。本研究探讨了 COVID-19 对一年级大学生的幸福感、学业信心、知情感和自我效能的影响。使用横截面和纵向数据。调查数据收集自比利时一所大学一年级学生的两组 ( N  = 997)：一组是新冠疫情前的组 ( N  = 493)，一组是受新冠影响的组 ( N = 493) = 504）。对于新冠病毒感染前的队列，我们​​在两个测量时刻收集数据；对于受新冠病毒影响的队列，我们​​在四个测量时刻收集数据。首先，受试者间分析 (ANCOVA) 显示，COVID-19 对学生的幸福感 ( p  > .100)、学术信心 ( p  > .100) 和知情感 ( p  > .100) 没有显着影响，到达大学后。然而，三周后，受新冠疫情影响的队列报告的幸福感（略微）低于新冠疫情前队列（p  = .057，η ²  = .01）。其次，对受新冠肺炎影响的队列进行的纵向分析（重复测量 ANCOVA）揭示了整个学年中幸福感的变化 ( p  < .001, η _p ² = .39) 和自我效能 ( p  < .001, η _p ²  = .04)。幸福感和自我效能感在第一学期下降 ( p  < .001)，并在第二学期开始时略有恢复 ( p  < .001)。讨论了如何在学生向高等教育过渡期间提供支持的教育意义。