Exploring the Pandemic’s Impacts on Latinx Students’ Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32674/ev7as419Keywords:
Latinx college students, COVID-19, online and remote learning, mental healthAbstract
Through inductive thematic analysis of focus group data conducted during the Spring 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021 semesters within courses focused on the Latinx community, this study illustrates the challenging impacts of COVID-19 and online learning on Latinx students at a predominately White institution during the pandemic. It underscores their concerns regarding access to essential educational resources, especially online learning tools, mental health support, and building connections with peers and the campus community. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the Latinx student experience to inform educational policies and pedagogical practices, particularly in the context of post-pandemic online and remote learning, aiming to address their unique challenges effectively.
References
Aguinaga, A., & Gloria, A. M. (2015). The effects of generational status and university environment on Latina/o undergraduates’ persistence decisions. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 8(1), 15–29. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038465
Aucejo, E. M., French, J., Ugalde Araya, M. P., & Zafar, B. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on student experiences and expectations: Evidence from a survey. Journal of Public Economics, 191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2020.104271
Bensimon, E. M., Dowd, A. C., Stanton-Salazar, R., & Dávila, B. A. (2019). The role of institutional agents in providing institutional support to Latinx students in STEM. Review of Higher Education, 42(4), 1689–1721. https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.2019.0080
Billingsley, J. T., & Hurd, N. M. (2019). Discrimination, mental health, and academic performance among underrepresented college students: The role of extracurricular activities at predominantly white institutions. Social Psychology of Education: An International Journal, 22(2), 421–446. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-019-09484-8
Bosman, J., & McKinley, J. (2020, March 20). One in five Americans ordered to stay home in coronavirus crackdown. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/us/ny-ca-stay-home-order.html
Boyatzis, R. E. (1998). Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development. Sage Publications, Inc.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Bulman, G., & Fairlie, R. W. (2022). The impact of COVID-19 on community college enrollment and student success: Evidence from California administrative data. IZA Institute of Labor Economics, Discussion Paper Series, No. 15196.https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/15196/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-communitycollege-enrollment-and-student-success-evidence-from-california-administrative-data
Burke, A. (2019). Student retention models in higher education: A literature review. College and University, 94(2), 12-21. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1216871
Cameron, M., Lacy, T. A., Siegel, P., Wu, J., Wilson, A., Johnson, R., Burns, R., & Wine, J. (2021). 2019–20 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:20): First Look at the Impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic on Undergraduate Student Enrollment, Housing, and Finances (Preliminary Data) (NCES 2021-456). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2021456
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2023, March 15). COVID-19 timeline: Early 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.html#Early-2020
Clabaugh, A., Duque, J. F., & Fields, L. J. (2021). Academic stress and emotional well-being in United States college students following onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.628787/full
Clayton, A. B., Medina, M. C., & Wiseman, A. M. (2019). Culture and community: Perspectives from first-year, first-generation-in-college Latino students. Journal of Latinos and Education, 18(2), 134–150. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348431.2017.1386101
Colby, S.L., & Ortman, J.M. (2015). Projections of the Size and Composition of the U.S. Population: 2014 to 2060. United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2015/demo/p25-1143.html
Colmenares, E. (2022, February 25). The immense struggles of first-generation Latino college students. The Bottom Line. https://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2022/02/the-immense-struggles-of-first-generation-latino-college-students
Crisp, G., Taggart, A., & Nora, A. (2015). Undergraduate Latina/o students: A systematic review of research identifying factors contributing to academic success outcomes. Review of Educational Research, 85(2), 249–274. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654314551064
Doherty, E., & Pandey, E. (2022, December 11). Higher education's sea change. Axios. https://www.axios.com/2022/12/11/colleges-universities-sat-enrollment-applications
Dueñas, M., & Gloria, A. M. (2020). ¡Pertenecemos y tenemos importancia aquí! Exploring sense of belonging and mattering for first-generation and continuing-generation Latinx undergraduates. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 42(1), 95–116. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986319899734
Easton-Brooks, D. (2019). Ethnic matching: Academic success of students of color. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Figlio, D., Rush, M., & Yin, L. (2013). Is It Live or Is It Internet? Experimental Estimates of the Effects of Online Instruction on Student Learning. Journal of Labor Economics, 31(4), 763–784. https://doi.org/10.1086/669930
Flaherty, C. (2020, April 29). Zoom Boom. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/04/29/synchronous-instruction-hot-right-now-it-sustainable
Foote, M. Q., & Gau Bartell, T. (2011). Pathways to equity in mathematics education: how life experiences impact researcher positionality. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 78, 45–68. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-011-9309-2
Fortuna, L. R., Tolou-Shams, M., Robles-Ramamurthy, B., & Porche, M. V. (2020). Inequity and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color in the United States: The need for a trauma-informed social justice response. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12(5). http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tra000088.
Fox, M. D., Bailey, D. C., Seamon, M. D., & Miranda, M. L. (2021). Response to a COVID-19 outbreak on a university campus — Indiana, August 2020. * Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 70(4), 118-122. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7004a3.
Gallaga, O. L. (2020, September 25). Housing and food insecurity accelerates for Latino college students amid COVID-19. Pulso. https://projectpulso.org/2020/09/25/housing-and-food-insecurity-accelerates-for-latino-college-students-amid-covid-19/
Gallagher, S., & Palmer, J. (2020, September 29). The pandemic pushed universities online. The change was long overdue. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/09/the-pandemic-pushed-universities-online-the-change-was-long-overdue
Gillis, A., & Krull, L. M. (2020). COVID-19 Remote Learning Transition in Spring 2020: Class Structures, Student Perceptions, and Inequality in College Courses. Teaching Sociology, 48(4), 283-299. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X20954263
Gonzales, A. L., Calarco, J. M., & Lynch, T. (2020). Technology Problems and Student Achievement Gaps: A Validation and Extension of the Technology Maintenance Construct. Communication Research, 47(5), 750–770. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650218796366
Green, E. L. (2020, March 10). Rules eased on colleges seeking to close their campuses amid outbreak. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/us/politics/coronavirus-colleges.html
Green, S. L., & Wright, C. F. (2017). Retaining first generation underrepresented minority students: A struggle for higher Education. Journal of Education Research, 11(3), 323–338. https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=6d706977-085d-4107-8c34-9e8224b534d9%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPXNzbyZzaXRlPWVkcy1saXZlJnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#AN=135961228&db=eft
Hamann, K., Glazier, R. A., Wilson, B. M., & Pollock, P. H. (2021). Online Teaching, Student Success, and Retention in Political Science Courses. European Political Science, 20(3), 427-439. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41304-020-00282-x
Hartocollis, A. (2020, April 15). After coronavirus, colleges worry: Will students come back? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/15/us/coronavirus-colleges-universities-admissions.html
Hess, A. J. (2020, March 26). How coronavirus dramatically changed college for over 14 million students. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/26/how-coronavirus-changed-college-for-over-14-million-students.html
Hill, L., & Artiga, S. (2022, August 22). COVID-19 cases and deaths by race/ethnicity: Current data and changes over time. KFF. https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/covid-19-cases-and-deaths-by-race-ethnicity-current-data-and-changes-over-time/
Holmes, A. G. D. (2020). Researcher positionality-a consideration of its influence and place in qualitative research-a new research guide. International Journal of Education, 8(4), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.34293/education.v8i4.3232
Hu, K., Godfrey, K., Ren, Q., Wang, S., Yang, X., & Li, Q. (2022). The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on College Students in USA: Two Years Later. Psychiatry Research, 315, 1-8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9197567/
Hubler, S., & Hartocollis, A. (2020, September 11). How colleges became the new Covid hot spots. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/11/us/college-campus-outbreak-covid.html
Johnson, N., Seaman, J., & Veletsianos, G. (2021). Teaching during a pandemic: Spring transition, fall continuation, winter evaluation. Bay View Analytics. https://www.bayviewanalytics.com/research_brief/covid-19_and_the_future_of_higher_education.html
Johnson, N., Veletsianos, G., & Seaman, J. (2020). U.S. faculty and administrators’ experiences and approaches in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Online Learning, 24(2), 6-21. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v24i2.2285
Korn, M., & Abbott, B. (2020, September 22). Reopening colleges likely fueled COVID-19 significantly, study finds. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/reopening-colleges-likely-fueled-covid-19-significantly-study-finds-11600776001.
Leidner, A. J., et al. (2021). Opening of large institutions of higher education and county-level COVID-19 incidence – United States, July 6–September 17, 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 70(1), 14-19. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/101136
Lemay, D. J., Bazelais, P., & Doleck, C. (2021). Transition to Online Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 4, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2021.100130.
Lee, J. (2021, December 29). Universities overhaul spring semester plans as omicron surges. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/omicron-surge-leads-universities-alter-spring-semester-schedule-rcna10339
Lee, J., Solomon, M., Stead, T., Kwon, B., & Ganti, L. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of US college students. BMC Psychology, 9(95). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-021-00598-3
Levenson, E., Boyette, C., & Mack, J. (2020, March 12). Colleges and universities across the US are canceling in-person classes due to coronavirus. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/09/us/coronavirus-university-college-classes/index.html
Lincoln, N. (2023). Challenges and strategies for assisting Latino students with college access and competition. Independent Educational Consultants Association. https://www.iecaonline.com/quick-links/ieca-news-center/resource-library/college-focused-publications/challenges-and-strategies-for-assisting-latino-students-with-college-access-and-completion/
Loveland, E. (2018). Creating a sense of community and belonging for Latinx students. Journal of College Admission, 241, 44-49. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1260282
Malterud, K. (2001). Qualitative research: Standards, challenges, and guidelines. The Lancet, 358(9280), 483-488. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(01)05627-6
McCarron, G. P., & Inkelas, K. K. (2006). The gap between educational aspirations and attainment for first-generation college students and the role of parental involvement. Journal of College Student Development, 47(5), 534–549. http://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2006.0059
Mervosh, S., Lu, D., & Swales, V. (2020, April 20). See which states and cities have told residents to stay at home. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-stay-at-home-order.html
Molock, S. D., & Parchem, B. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on college students from communities of color. Journal of American College Health, 70(8), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1865380.
Moreland, A., Herlihy, C., Tynan, M., et al. (2020). Timing of state and territorial COVID-19 stay-at-home orders and changes in population movement – United States, March 1–May 31, 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69, 1198-1203. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6935a2.htm
National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Undergraduate Enrollment. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cha
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
Pew Research Center. (2021, March 5). In their own words, Americans describe the struggles and silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.pewresearch.org/2021/03/05/in-their-own-words-americans-describe-the-struggles-and-silver-linings-of-the-covid-19-pandemic/
Reisdorf, B. C., Triwibowo, W., & Yankelevich, A. (2020). Laptop or Bust: How Lack of Technology Affects Student Achievement. American Behavioral Scientist, 64(7), 927–949. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764220919145
Reyes-Portillo, J. A., Masia Warner, C., Kline, E. A., Bixter, M. T., Chu, B. C., Miranda, R., Nadeem, E., Nickerson, et al. (2022). The Psychological, Academic, and Economic Impact of COVID-19 on College Students in the Epicenter of the Pandemic. Emerging Adulthood, 10(2), 473-490. https://doi.org/10.1177/21676968211066657
Rios-Ellis, B., Rascón, M., Galvez, G., Inzunza-Franco, G., Bellamy, L., & Torres, A. (2015). Creating a model of Latino peer education: Weaving cultural capital into the fabric of academic services in an urban university setting. Education & Urban Society, 47(1), 33–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013124512468006
Rodriguez, C., Crowder, S. L., Rodriguez, M., Redwine, L., & Stern, M. (2021). Food Insecurity and the Hispanic Population during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 60(5), 548-563. https://doi.org/10.1080/03670244.2021.1974014.
Rodriguez, S., Garbee, K., & Martínez-Podolsky, E. (2021). Coping with college obstacles: The complicated role of “Familia” for first-generation Mexican American college students. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 20(1), 75–90. https://doi.org/10.1177/1538192719835683
Rodríguez-Planas, N. (2020). Hitting where it hurts most: COVID-19 and low-income urban college students. IZA Institute of Labor Economics, Discussion Paper Series, No. 13644. https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/13644/hitting-where-it-hurts-most-covid-19-and-low-income-urban-college-students.
Rodríguez-Planas, N. (2021). COVID-19 and college academic performance: A longitudinal analysis. IZA Institute of Labor Economics, Discussion Paper Series, No. 14413. https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/14113/covid-19-and-college-academic-performance-a-longitudinal-analysis.
Romo, L. F., Magana, D., & Gutierrez-Serrano, G. (2020). Factors influencing optimism for degree attainment in Latino first-generation college students. AMAE Journal, 14(3), 120-133. https://doi.org/10.24974/amae.14.3.408
Sánchez-Connally, P. (2018). Latinx first-generation college students: Negotiating race, gender, class, and belonging. Race, Gender & Class, 25(3/4), 234-251. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26802896
Son, C., Hegde, S., Smith, A., Wang, X., & Sasangohar, F. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 on college students’ mental health in the United States: Interview survey study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(9). https://doi.org/10.2196/21279
Trammell, J. P., Joseph, N. T., & Harriger, J. A. (2021). Racial and ethnic minority disparities in COVID-19 related health, health beliefs and behaviors, and well-being among students. Journal of American College Health, 71(1), 242-248. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1890606.
The Economist. (2020, August 8). COVID-19 will be painful for universities, but also bring change. https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/08/08/covid-19-will-be-painful-for-universities-but-also-bring-change
Tovar, E. (2015). The role of faculty, counselors, and support programs on Latino/a community college students’ success and intent to persist. Community College Review, 43(1), 46–71. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091552114553788
U.S. Department of Education: Office for Civil Rights. (2021, June 9). Education in the Pandemic: The Disparate Impacts of COVID-19 on America’s Students. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/20210608-impacts-of-covid19.pdf.
Vega, D. (2016). "Why Not Me?" College enrollment and persistence of high-achieving first-generation Latino college students. School Psychology Forum, 10(3), 307–320. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1148998
Vogels, E. A., Perrin, A., Rainie, L., & Anderson, M. (2020, April 30). 53% of Americans Say the Internet Has Been Essential During the COVID-19 Outbreak. Pew Research Center (blog). https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/04/30/53-of-americans-say-the-internet-has-been-essential-during-the-covid-19-outbreak/
World Health Organization (WHO). (2022, March 28). Timeline: WHO’s COVID-19 response. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/interactive-timeline
