Quantitative methods students’ perception during a pandemic: e-learning support and course satisfaction

Abstract

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 removed the resistance to the digitalization of Higher Education (HE), which allowed the remaking of universities from innovation, flexibility, and hybrid and inclusive educational models. This research aimed to study the perception of e-learning support and students’ satisfaction with Quantitative Methods subjects. For this purpose, we applied an online survey with 315 participants, through the second semester of 2021, from the University Center for Economic and Administrative Sciences (CUCEA) at the University of Guadalajara. Using exploratory factor analysis, we studied the survey responses. Three categories of support were identified: teacher support, peer support, and technical support. The empirical evidence showed that the support received is significantly related to student satisfaction, especially from their professor during e-learning through a pandemic. Likewise, many students considered that higher participation should have been during their online classes. In contrast, others believed greater involvement of their classmates could have improved the class dynamics. The results found are helpful for planners and decision-makers in HE because the educational model cannot go back to how it was before the coronavirus pandemic.