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The Higher Education Sustainability before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Spanish and Ecuadorian Case

Author

Listed:
  • Johanna Andrea Navarro-Espinosa

    (Unidad de Seguimiento a Graduados, Banca Laboral y Prácticas Pre Profesionales, Universidad de ECOTEC, Guayaquil 090501, Ecuador)

  • Manuel Vaquero-Abellán

    (GC12 Clinical and Epidemiological Research in Primary Care, Campus de Menéndez Pidal, Instituto Maimónides, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
    Departamento de Enfermería, Fisioterapia y Farmacología, Campus de Menéndez Pidal, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain)

  • Alberto-Jesús Perea-Moreno

    (Departamento de Física Aplicada, Radiología y Medicina Física, Edificio Albert Einstein, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain)

  • Gerardo Pedrós-Pérez

    (Departamento de Física Aplicada, Radiología y Medicina Física, Edificio Albert Einstein, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain)

  • Pilar Aparicio-Martínez

    (GC12 Clinical and Epidemiological Research in Primary Care, Campus de Menéndez Pidal, Instituto Maimónides, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
    Departamento de Enfermería, Fisioterapia y Farmacología, Campus de Menéndez Pidal, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain)

  • Mª Pilar Martínez-Jiménez

    (Departamento de Física Aplicada, Radiología y Medicina Física, Edificio Albert Einstein, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
    Responsable Grupo Investigación PAIDI de la Junta de Andalucía TEP149, Modelos de Simulación en Energías, Transporte, Física, Ingeniería y Riesgos Laborales, Edificio Albert Einstein, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain)

Abstract

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are key to create sustainable higher education institutions (HEIs). Most researchers focused on the students’ perspective, especially during the online teaching caused by COVID-19; however, university teachers are often forgotten, having their opinion missing. This study’s objective was to determine the factors that contribute to the inclusion of ICTs. The research based on a comparative study through an online qualitative survey focused on the inclusion and use of ICTs in two HEIs and two different moments (pre- and post-lockdowns). There were differences regarding country and working experience ( p < 0.001), being linked to the ICTs use, evaluation of obstacles, and the role given to ICTs ( p < 0.05). The COVID-19 caused modifications of the teachers’ perspectives, including an improvement of the opinion of older teachers regarding the essentialness of ICTs in the teaching process ( p < 0.001) and worsening their perception about their ICTs skill ( p < 0.05). Additionally, an initial model focused only on the university teachers and their use of ICTs has been proposed. In conclusion, the less experienced university teachers used more ICTs, identified more greatly the problematic factors, and considered more important the ICTs, with the perception of all teachers modified by COVID-19.

Suggested Citation

  • Johanna Andrea Navarro-Espinosa & Manuel Vaquero-Abellán & Alberto-Jesús Perea-Moreno & Gerardo Pedrós-Pérez & Pilar Aparicio-Martínez & Mª Pilar Martínez-Jiménez, 2021. "The Higher Education Sustainability before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Spanish and Ecuadorian Case," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-22, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:11:p:6363-:d:568378
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Jangwan Ko & Seungsu Paek & Seoyoon Park & Jiwoo Park, 2021. "A News Big Data Analysis of Issues in Higher Education in Korea amid the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-18, June.
    3. Zawar Shah & Shannon Kennedy-Clark & Yancong Xie & Md Shamsur Rahim & Mehregan Mahdavi & Andrew Levula, 2022. "Teacher Views on Teaching Sustainability in Higher Education Institutes in Australia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-18, July.
    4. Annchen Mielmann, 2021. "Being Innovative in Running an Online Food Research Project in Consumer Sciences during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-22, December.
    5. Ángela Martín-Gutiérrez & María Dolores Díaz-Noguera & Carlos Hervás-Gómez & Gloria Luisa Morales-Pérez, 2022. "Models of Future Teachers’ Adaptation to New Post-Pandemic Digital Educational Scenarios," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-14, November.
    6. Juan Carlos Bustamante & Manuel Segura-Berges & Manuel Lizalde-Gil & Carlos Peñarrubia-Lozano, 2022. "Qualitative Analyses of e-Learning Implementation and Hybrid Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic at Spanish Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-19, September.
    7. Tabea Bork-Hüffer & Vanessa Kulcar & Ferdinand Brielmair & Andrea Markl & Daniel Marian Immer & Barbara Juen & Maria Hildegard Walter & Katja Kaufmann, 2021. "University Students’ Perception, Evaluation, and Spaces of Distance Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Austria: What Can We Learn for Post-Pandemic Educational Futures?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-25, July.

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