Got sick of surveys or lack of social capital? An investigation on the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on institutional surveying.

Abstract

The use of surveys to better understand students’ experiences and teaching quality in higher education has a long history of implementation and critical review. Although research on student feedback surveys has highlighted a number of areas of concern, a well-designed student survey on teaching and learning will produce a strong foundation of evidence to inform action by academics and universities. Prior to the pandemic of 2020, analysis of the student surveys on teaching and learning highlighted lower rates of participation than in previous decades. This article examines the impacts of COVID-19 on the uptake of student surveys on teaching and learning within an Australian university. While students are affected by survey fatigue, some are more affected than others, especially those who are suffering from lack of academic and peer interaction. Using Bourdieu’s concept of social capital, this article finds that first year students who started university during COVID-19 had a higher drop in response rate than other cohorts, highlighting the importance of interactions with peers when completing surveys. This article also complements the expanding literature on the impacts of COVID-19 on the experiences of higher education students.