The impact of Covid-19 on Moroccan students’ learning habits, mental health, and physical health (ENSA Fez as a case study)

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic, announced by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020 as universal, brought about drastic sanitary measures all along with a thorough lockdown in spring 2020. People’s daily life was affected and ostensible behavioral changes were noticed. The objective of this research is to diagnose the impact of the pandemic on university students (ENSA Fez), how the lockdown affected their lifestyle, their education (distant learning, connectivity problems, withdrawal from course attendance), and mental/physical health deterioration (stress, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, lack of physical activity). To attain our objective, we resorted to a survey of 250 engineering students from École Nationale des Sciences Appliquées - Fez (ENSAF) who testified on changes in manners, mental/physical health, and emergency remote education–related problems. Data were statistically analyzed, and the results revealed regressions in physical activity and frequently disrupted bedtimes. We concluded that most engineering apprentices suffered from psychological stressors and endured physical health disorders that affected their lifestyle and well-being, all of which have negatively affected their competence and performance. Consequently, our recommendations are related to providing coaches to assess students suffering from health disorders, using innovative teaching methods to increase the motivation and engagement among students via online platforms and affording technical assistance.