studies in continuing education impact factor

Studies in Continuing Education

Subject Area and Category

Publication type.

0158037X, 1470126X

1978-1982, 1988-2023

Information

How to publish in this journal

[email protected]

The set of journals have been ranked according to their SJR and divided into four equal groups, four quartiles. Q1 (green) comprises the quarter of the journals with the highest values, Q2 (yellow) the second highest values, Q3 (orange) the third highest values and Q4 (red) the lowest values.

The SJR is a size-independent prestige indicator that ranks journals by their 'average prestige per article'. It is based on the idea that 'all citations are not created equal'. SJR is a measure of scientific influence of journals that accounts for both the number of citations received by a journal and the importance or prestige of the journals where such citations come from It measures the scientific influence of the average article in a journal, it expresses how central to the global scientific discussion an average article of the journal is.

Evolution of the number of published documents. All types of documents are considered, including citable and non citable documents.

This indicator counts the number of citations received by documents from a journal and divides them by the total number of documents published in that journal. The chart shows the evolution of the average number of times documents published in a journal in the past two, three and four years have been cited in the current year. The two years line is equivalent to journal impact factor ™ (Thomson Reuters) metric.

Evolution of the total number of citations and journal's self-citations received by a journal's published documents during the three previous years. Journal Self-citation is defined as the number of citation from a journal citing article to articles published by the same journal.

Evolution of the number of total citation per document and external citation per document (i.e. journal self-citations removed) received by a journal's published documents during the three previous years. External citations are calculated by subtracting the number of self-citations from the total number of citations received by the journal’s documents.

International Collaboration accounts for the articles that have been produced by researchers from several countries. The chart shows the ratio of a journal's documents signed by researchers from more than one country; that is including more than one country address.

Not every article in a journal is considered primary research and therefore "citable", this chart shows the ratio of a journal's articles including substantial research (research articles, conference papers and reviews) in three year windows vs. those documents other than research articles, reviews and conference papers.

Ratio of a journal's items, grouped in three years windows, that have been cited at least once vs. those not cited during the following year.

Evolution of the percentage of female authors.

Evolution of the number of documents cited by public policy documents according to Overton database.

Evoution of the number of documents related to Sustainable Development Goals defined by United Nations. Available from 2018 onwards.

Leave a comment

Name * Required

Email (will not be published) * Required

* Required Cancel

The users of Scimago Journal & Country Rank have the possibility to dialogue through comments linked to a specific journal. The purpose is to have a forum in which general doubts about the processes of publication in the journal, experiences and other issues derived from the publication of papers are resolved. For topics on particular articles, maintain the dialogue through the usual channels with your editor.

Follow us on @ScimagoJR Scimago Lab , Copyright 2007-2024. Data Source: Scopus®

Cookie settings

Cookie Policy

Legal Notice

Privacy Policy

Studies In Continuing Education impact factor, indexing, ranking (2024)

Aim and Scope

The Studies In Continuing Education is a research journal that publishes research related to Social Sciences . This journal is published by the Routledge. The ISSN of this journal is 0158037X, 1470126X . Based on the Scopus data, the SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) of studies in continuing education is 0.797 .

Studies In Continuing Education Ranking

The latest Impact Factor list (JCR) is released in June 2024.

The Impact Factor of Studies In Continuing Education is 1.9.

The impact factor (IF) is a measure of the frequency with which the average article in a journal has been cited in a particular year. It is used to measure the importance or rank of a journal by calculating the times its articles are cited.

The impact factor was devised by Eugene Garfield, the founder of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) in Philadelphia. Impact factors began to be calculated yearly starting from 1975 for journals listed in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR). ISI was acquired by Thomson Scientific & Healthcare in 1992, and became known as Thomson ISI. In 2018, Thomson-Reuters spun off and sold ISI to Onex Corporation and Baring Private Equity Asia. They founded a new corporation, Clarivate , which is now the publisher of the JCR.

Important Metrics

studies in continuing education Indexing

The studies in continuing education is indexed in:

• Web of Science (SSCI)

An indexed journal means that the journal has gone through and passed a review process of certain requirements done by a journal indexer.

The Web of Science Core Collection includes the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Arts & Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), and Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI).

Studies In Continuing Education Impact Factor 2024

The latest impact factor of studies in continuing education is 1.9 which is recently updated in June, 2024.

The impact factor (IF) is a measure of the frequency with which the average article in a journal has been cited in a particular year. It is used to measure the importance or rank of a journal by calculating the times it's articles are cited.

Note: Every year, The Clarivate releases the Journal Citation Report (JCR). The JCR provides information about academic journals including impact factor. The latest JCR was released in June, 2023. The JCR 2024 will be released in the June 2024.

Studies In Continuing Education Quartile

The latest Quartile of studies in continuing education is Q1 .

Each subject category of journals is divided into four quartiles: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4. Q1 is occupied by the top 25% of journals in the list; Q2 is occupied by journals in the 25 to 50% group; Q3 is occupied by journals in the 50 to 75% group and Q4 is occupied by journals in the 75 to 100% group.

Journal Publication Time

The publication time may vary depending on factors such as the complexity of the research and the current workload of the editorial team. Journals typically request reviewers to submit their reviews within 3-4 weeks. However, some journals lack mechanisms to enforce this deadline, making it difficult to predict the duration of the peer review process.

The review time also depends upon the quality of the research paper.

Call for Papers

Visit to the official website of the journal/ conference to check the details about call for papers.

How to publish in Studies In Continuing Education?

If your research is related to Social Sciences, then visit the official website of studies in continuing education and send your manuscript.

Tips for publishing in Studies In Continuing Education:

• Selection of research problem.
• Presenting a solution.
• Designing the paper.
• Make your manuscript publication worthy.
• Write an effective results section.
• Mind your references.

Acceptance Rate

Final summary.

• The impact factor of studies in continuing education is 1.9.
• The studies in continuing education is a reputed research journal.
• It is published by Routledge .
• The journal is indexed in UGC CARE, Scopus, SSCI .
• The (SJR) SCImago Journal Rank is 0.797 .

SIMILIAR JOURNALS

NETWORK SCIENCE

HISTORICAL SOCIAL RESEARCH-HISTORISCHE SOZIALFORSCHUNG

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRANSGENDER HEALTH

QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS

CRITICAL SOCIAL POLICY

DEATH STUDIES

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTERCULTURAL RELATIONS

JOURNAL OF BIOETHICAL INQUIRY

TOP RESEARCH JOURNALS

• Agricultural & Biological Sciences
• Arts & Humanities
• Business, Management and Accounting
• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Mathematics
• Social Sciences

Studies in Continuing Education

( API-Link )

Impact Factor : 1.500 (based on Web of Science 2022)

• # 176 / 252 (Q3) in Education & Educational Research

Partner: • University Press Alert

• Editage One platform for all researcher needs
• Paperpal AI-powered academic writing assistant
• R Discovery Your #1 AI companion for literature search
• Mind the Graph AI tool for graphics, illustrations, and artwork
• [email protected]
• Request a callback

Researcher.Life is built on Editage's in-depth understanding of what researchers need during publication and beyond, accumulated over 20 years.

Studies in Continuing Education : Impact Factor & More

Check your submission readiness.

Find out how your manuscript stacks up against 24 technical compliance and 6 language quality checks.

Studies in Continuing Education Key Metrics

Topics covered on studies in continuing education, studies in continuing education journal specifications.

Submissions Pack

One subscription packed with expert publication services and AI tools to get you published

Journal Selection Service

Benefit from our experts' recommendations of 3-5 best-suited journals, accompanied by a detailed Journal Selection report explaining the choices. Make informed decisions.

Journal Submission Service

Streamline your submission process with meticulous manuscript formatting to meet journal guidelines, crafting a tailored cover letter for the editor, and hassle-free account creation and submission

Bundle of AI tools for your research needs

Journal Finder, Paperpal, R Discovery, MindTheGraph and more

Buy now for a special Launch price!

Planning to publish in Studies in Continuing Education ?

Upload your Manuscript to get

• Degree of match
• Common matching concepts
• Additional journal recommendations

Recently Published Papers in Studies in Continuing Education

• 13 Jun 2024
• Studies in Continuing Education
• 11 Jun 2024

Compare Similar Journals with Studies in Continuing Education

Professional development in education, teaching and teacher education, teacher development, journal of workplace learning, journal of professional capital and community, jac-antimicrobial resistance, international journal of environmental research and public health, professional and practice-based learning.

SJR Ranking, Topics covered, Indexing Database, Publication Review Time, Publication Type, Article Processing Charges & Recently Published papers

Get detailed Journal comparison report on your email by signing up

Check if your research matches the topics covered in Studies in Continuing Education?

Studies in continuing education scite analysis.

928 articles received 10.5K citations see all

• 264 Supporting
• 9,642 Mentioning
• 14 Contrasting

Studies in Continuing Education Editorial notices

• 0 Retractions
• 0 Withdrawals
• 1 Corrections
• 0 Expression of Concern

FAQs on Studies in Continuing Education

How long has studies in continuing education been actively publishing.

Studies in Continuing Education has been in operation since 1978 till date.

What is the publishing frequency of Studies in Continuing Education?

Studies in Continuing Education published with a Tri-annual frequency.

How many articles did Studies in Continuing Education publish last year?

In 2023, Studies in Continuing Education publsihed 22 articles.

What is the eISSN & pISSN for Studies in Continuing Education?

For Studies in Continuing Education, eISSN is 1470-126X and pISSN is 0158-037X.

What is Citescore for Studies in Continuing Education?

Citescore for Studies in Continuing Education is 3.2.

What is the H Index for Studies in Continuing Education ?

H Index for Studies in Continuing Education is 38.

What is SNIP score for Studies in Continuing Education?

SNIP score for Studies in Continuing Education is 1.5.

What is the SJR for Studies in Continuing Education?

SJR for Studies in Continuing Education is Q1.

Who is the publisher of Studies in Continuing Education?

ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD is the publisher of Studies in Continuing Education.

Copyright 2024 Cactus Communications. All rights reserved.

Studies in Continuing Education

Journal Abbreviation: STUD CONTIN EDUC Journal ISSN: 0158-037X

You may also be interested in the following journals

No related journals.

Top Journals in social

• Psychological Inquiry
• Psychological Science in the Public Interest
• Industrial and Organizational Psychology-Perspectives on Science and Practice
• Clinical Psychology Review
• Perspectives on Psychological Science
• Personality and Social Psychology Review
• Academy of Management Annals
• Academy of Management Review
• Advances in Experimental Social Psychology
• Health Psychology Review
• Journal of The Academy of Marketing Science
• Review of Educational Research

Journal Impact

InCites Journal Citation Report for:

Studies in Continuing Education Impact Factor

Journal Data Filtered By:

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Int J Environ Res Public Health

Predictors of the Quality of Life of University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Enrique ramón-arbués.

1 Faculty of Health Sciences, Campus Universitario Villanueva de Gállego, Universidad San Jorge, 50830 Saragossa, Spain

2 H27_20D Transfercult, Investigation Group, Aragón, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain

Emmanuel Echániz-Serrano

3 Faculty of Health Sciences, Zaragoza University, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain

Blanca Martínez-Abadía

4 Occupational Health and Prevention Service of the Zaragoza City Council, 50003 Saragossa, Spain

Isabel Antón-Solanas

Ana cobos-rincón.

5 GRUPAC, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of La Rioja, 26004 Logroño, Spain

6 Biomedical Research Center of La Rioja (CIBIR), 26004 Logroño, Spain

Iván Santolalla-Arnedo

Raúl juárez-vela, benjamin adam jerue.

7 Faculty of Communication and Social Sciences, Campus Universitario Villanueva de Gállego, Universidad San Jorge, 50830 Saragossa, Spain

Associated Data

On request to the first author.

Quality of life (QOL) is a complex and multifaceted concept that has been used to study different aspects of people’s lives, including physical and psychological wellbeing, financial independence, social relationships, personal beliefs and living situation. In this study, we aimed to assess the QOL of a group of Spanish university students and identify associated factors. Method: We completed a cross-sectional study of the QOL of 868 university students using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. In addition, data regarding sociodemographic information and self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire—Short version), diet (Spanish Index of Healthy Eating), alcohol consumption (CAGE questionnaire) and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) were collected. Results: A total of 66.2% of participants assessed their QOL positively, while 58.8% favorably evaluated their overall health. Students reported the highest scores for the physical health domain of QOL, whereas they gave the lowest scores for the psychological health domain. Age was inversely associated with QOL. Higher self-esteem and satisfaction with academic performance, as well as sleep and diet quality, were directly associated with higher QOL. The physical health domain of QOL was scored more highly by participants who had a healthy body weight or those who reported moderate levels of physical activity. Higher scores in the social relationships domain of QOL were directly linked to alcohol intake, smoking and low body weight in addition to being inversely associated with screen time. The psychological domain of QOL was lower for those who were overweight or lived alone. Conclusion: Many sociodemographic, academic and behavioral variables are associated with university students’ QOL. The present findings underscore the need to direct further initiatives toward identifying and overcoming barriers to increased QOL for university students.

1. Introduction

Quality of life (QOL) is a complex and multifaceted concept that has been used to study different aspects of people’s lives, including physical and psychological wellbeing, financial independence, social relationships, personal beliefs and living situation [ 1 ]. The varied contexts in which QOL has been used, however, have made it difficult to define the term in a way that is acceptable to researchers in all fields. Accordingly, starting in the 1960s, researchers proposed a range of definitions of QOL focusing on different factors, including basic human needs, subjective wellbeing, hopes and expectations for the future, and other phenomenological considerations [ 2 ]. The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined QOL as “an individual’s perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns” [ 3 ], and goes on to urge researchers to measure QOL in different cultures and contexts in order to obtain a more holistic view of health and provide better treatment to patients [ 3 ].

Adolescence and the early years of adulthood are among the most crucial phases of human development [ 4 ]. In these periods of physical, psychological, social and sexual development, adolescents and young adults gradually assume greater responsibility for and autonomy over their own lives; likewise, they develop new attitudes and beliefs about their health and risks to it [ 5 ]. For this population, the transition from secondary to higher education can be especially demanding for many reasons, including the pressure to thrive academically, competition between peers, changes in workload and support networks and, on certain occasions, changes in living conditions and being away from family for an extended period of time [ 6 ]. The potent mix of biological and social–psychological factors during this period can leave university students especially vulnerable and susceptible to high-risk behavior, whether physical, psychological, or a combination thereof; such behaviors, in turn, can have a negative impact on students’ QOL in both the short and long term [ 7 ].

Previous studies have demonstrated how university students, especially those studying health sciences, exhibit lower levels of QOL than the general population [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. This body of research has already revealed several factors linked to having a higher QOL among university students, including, but not limited to, the following: satisfaction with their studies [ 11 , 12 ], satisfaction with life [ 13 ], being male [ 14 ], the absence of signs of depression [ 15 , 16 ] and stress [ 16 , 17 ], being well off economically [ 12 ], having healthy sleep habits [ 18 , 19 ] and having a body mass index (BMI) of less than 30 [ 10 , 20 ]. However, there are other factors that have been shown to affect the QOL of the general population, but their influence on the QOL of university students has yet to be properly studied. These factors include diet [ 21 ], physical activity [ 22 ], smoking [ 23 ], alcohol intake [ 24 ] and relationship status [ 25 ]. Furthermore, most of the scholarly literature on the QOL of university students has focused on specific groups of students: generally those enrolled in health science programs (e.g., medicine, dentistry or nursing). These degree programs are notoriously competitive, give rise to stressful situations, and are punctuated with important rites of passage [ 26 , 27 ]. Given the prevailing focus on this subset of students, there is a dearth of research on the QOL of the general population of university students. In Spain, such research has been limited to only a handful of studies with small sample sizes [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. The present paper aims to fill in this gap in the literature by studying a broader group of university students from different fields of study and determining which variables are associated with QOL.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. procedure and participants.

A cross-sectional study was carried out among students from three different faculties (Architecture and Technology, Health Sciences and Communication and Social Sciences) at the Universidad San Jorge in Villanueva de Gállego (Aragon, Spain). Both participant recruitment and data collection took place in the classroom during May 2021. A researcher went to various classrooms to explain to students the study’s objectives and provide them with pertinent information about the collection and handling of data. Students were physically provided with explanatory information for participants as well as an informed consent form. Students were assured that all information would be kept confidential. Furthermore, it was explained that students did not have to participate in the study and that they could choose to end their participation at any time. Of the 1437 students enrolled at the university, 912 opted to participate in the study and filled out the questionnaires provided by the researchers. Of the 912 questionnaires that were received, 44 were discarded and not analyzed since they were incomplete or because the provided information was patently untrue ( Figure 1 ).

Study flowchart.

2.2. Data Collection

The questionnaire used to collect data was comprised of two sections, with the first dealing with sociodemographics (e.g., anthropometric, academic and behavioral data) and the second dealing with QOL.

Using a process designed to protect anonymity, participants reported information about their age, gender, studies, place of residence, relationship status, height, weight, smoking habits, use of mobile devices, physical activity, diet, self-esteem, alcohol intake, sleep habits and quality of life.

The short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ—Short Version) was used to collect data about physical activity. The short IPAQ asks participants about the intensity, frequency and duration of physical activity carried out over the last seven days. Responses allow each participant’s physical activity to be classified into one of three levels: high, moderate or low [ 32 ].

The Spanish Healthy Eating Index (SHEI) was used to assess participants’ diet quality [ 33 ]. The Spanish Society for Community Nutrition has designed this research tool, which is an adapted version of the Healthy Eating Index first introduced by Kennedy et al. [ 34 ] to better fit the Spanish context. The SHEI consists of 10 items that are scored between 0 and 10. Accordingly, the final score can range between 0 and 100 and is classified as follows: over 80 (healthy diet), between 50 and 80 (diet needing modification) and under 50 (unhealthy).

Participants’ self-esteem was assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale [ 35 ] This questionnaire contains 10 items (with Likert-style options ranging between 1 and 4 points) so that the minimum score is 10 and the maximum is 40. Participants’ self-esteem is then classified using the following levels: 30 and above (high self-esteem), 26–29 (moderate self-esteem) and 25 and below (low self-esteem). Among the Spanish population, this scale has received an internal consistency of 0.87 and a test–retest reliability (within a year) of 0.74 [ 36 ].

Data on alcohol intake were gathered by means of the CAGE questionnaire, which has been validated for Spain by Rodríguez Martos et al. [ 37 ]. This questionnaire consists of 4 items, each of which has 2 options (“yes” or “no”). Since each affirmative answer is worth 1 point, there is a maximum score of 4 and a minimum of 0. This questionnaire’s sensitivity oscillates between 65 and 100%, and its specificity between 88 and 100% [ 38 ].

Participants’ sleep quality was assessed through the Spanish version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) [ 39 ]. This research tool consists of 19 items that comprise 7 subscales. These subscales, each of which is individually scored between 0 (very good) and 3 (very bad), are added together for a final score ranging from 0 to 21. Any score above 5 signals poor sleep quality or pathological difficulties related to sleep. The Spanish version of the PSQI has demonstrated adequate psychometric properties [ 39 , 40 ] and hence has been deemed a useful tool for epidemiological and clinical research.

The WHOQOL-BREF was used to measure participants’ QOL [ 41 , 42 ]. This questionnaire consists of 26 items, each of which is scored on a 5-point Likert scale (1–5). The first two items assess participants’ overall perception of their QOL (item 1) and health (item 2). The remaining items gather information about four specific domains of QOL: physical health (7 items), psychological health (6 items), social relationships (3 items) and environmental health (8 items). The average score of each domain is used to calculate a raw score for that domain. Following the guidelines provided by the WHO, the sum of the various raw scores can then be converted to a 0–100-point scale, with higher scores denoting a higher QOL [ 41 ]. The WHOQOL-BREF has been repeatedly used to study university students’ QOL [ 14 , 43 , 44 ] and the Spanish version has demonstrated positive psychometric properties during its validation for a clinical population [ 45 ].

2.3. Data Analysis

The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and graphic analysis were used to check the normality of the data distribution. The averages and standard deviations are given to present the results of the descriptive analysis of each WHOQOL-BREF domain. Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess the reliability of the Spanish version of the WHOQOL-BREF for the sample, with internal consistency being considered good when values were equal to or higher than 0.7. The Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) was used to determine the correlation between the different WHOQOL-BREF domains. The bivariate relationships between different variables and QOL scores were analyzed using the Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficient, a Student’s t -test and ANOVA.

Different multiple linear regression models (stepwise method using a probability of F to enter ≤ 0.05 and to exit ≤ 0.10) were carried out in order to identify independent predictors of QOL. Age and CAGE score variables showed a significant amount of asymmetry and were log-transformed for this analysis. Furthermore, a collinearity analysis was used to discard from the regression models any factor that presented a tolerance value or variance inflation factor (VIF) close to 1 and a condition index less than 30. Data codification, processing and analysis were completed using the statistical software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 21 for Windows, IBM Corp., Chicago, IL, USA), accepting a level of significance of p < 0.05.

3.1. Demographic Characteristics

A total of 868 university students participated in this study. The average age was 22.84 ± 7.51 and most participants were female (78.2%). Most students were enrolled in a health science program (61.3%), had a healthy body weight (77.4%), lived at home with parents/family (69.4%), were not smokers (67.7%) and had a diet that was either unhealthy or needed modification (82.2%). Table 1 provides further information about the demographics and habits of the sample.

Participant characteristics and quality of life.

* p < 0.01, ** p < 0.05.

3.2. WHOQOL-BREF scores and their reliability

The QOL scores in all domains showed a normal distribution. A total of 66.2% of participants positively evaluated their QOL, while 58.8% were satisfied with their overall health (WHOQOL-BREF items 1 and 2) ( Figure 2 ).

Participants’ perception of their quality of life and satisfaction with their health.

The following scores were reported for items 1 and 2, as well as the four QOL domains: perception of QOL (3.77 ± 0.88), overall health (3.63 ± 0.95), physical health (76.08 ± 14.17), psychological health (65.92 ± 15.79), social relationships (72.55 ± 19.83) and environmental health (73.77 ± 13.37). The reliability analysis gave Cronbach alpha values between 0.71 and 0.979 for the various domains ( Table 2 ). Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning that since the third domain (social relationships) only consists of three items, the results should be viewed with caution.

Participant scores on the WHOQOL-BREF and reliability for each domain.

Statistically significant bivariate correlations were found between the four domains of QOL. There were also statistically significant correlations between general perception of QOL and overall health and the scores obtained in the four domains. The strength of the correlation between the different domains ranged from moderate to strong (Pearson’s r between 0.302 and 0.553) ( Table 3 ).

Bivariate correlations between different domains of the WHOQOL-BREF.

* Correlations are significant at the level of 0.01 (bilateral).

3.3. The Relationship between Sociodemographic Variables and QOL: Multivariant Analysis

The physical health domain was directly associated with satisfaction with academic performance and increased screen time, while it was inversely related to low body weight, obesity, increased alcohol intake (assessed with the CAGE questionnaire) and high levels of physical activity. Being older, female, overweight and having an increased alcohol intake were all associated with lower QOL in the psychological health domain. Satisfaction with school, low body weight, low levels of physical activity, being a smoker, increased alcohol intake and having a stable partner all correlated with higher levels of satisfaction in the social relationships domain, whereas being older and having more screen were associated with lower levels of satisfaction in the same domain. There was a direct relationship between the environmental health domain and academic satisfaction, increased screen time, healthy body weight, being younger and having lower levels of alcohol consumption. It is also worth noting that participants in the final years of their university studies and those that had flat mates reported lower scores in the environmental health domain. Furthermore, self-esteem and sleep quality were associated with a higher QOL in all domains, and healthier diets were linked to stronger scores in the social relationships and environmental health domains. The goodness-of-fit of the different regression models ranged between r 2 = 0.351 and r 2 = 0.595 ( Table 4 ).

Multivariate analysis of factors associated with the different QOL domains.

Age and CAGE score are expressed as log-transformed. Does not enter in the model; * p < 0.01; ** p < 0.05.

4. Discussion

The present study has sought to assess the QOL of Spanish university students and identify associated predictive factors. A total of 66.2% of the study participants assessed their QOL favorably, while 58.8% positively rated their overall health. Notably, these numbers are lower than those reported in the National Health Survey for the general Spanish population [ 46 ]. The participants’ responses concerning their overall perception of QOL and overall health gave average values of 3.77 ± 0.88 and 3.63 ± 0.95, respectively (minimum 1 and maximum 5). These findings are analogous to those reported in other studies of university students from Spain [ 47 ], Europe [ 47 , 48 ] and around the world [ 14 , 49 ].

In the present sample, physical and psychological health were the highest and lowest scoring domains, respectively (76.08 ± 14.17 and 65.92 ± 15.79). While the body of published literature on the QOL of university students has been inconclusive concerning which domain university students score the highest, there is a recurring pattern that psychological health receives the lowest score [ 47 , 50 , 51 ]. It is likely that the differences that emerge in the literature over the strongest QOL domain can be explained in terms of contextual, cultural and socio-economic differences between different countries, communities and cultures; more specifically, we should be aware that there are meaningful differences in the expectations and customs of university students from one context to the next and that such differences surely exercise an influence over QOL.

Previous research has suggested that the first [ 52 ] and last [ 53 ] years of university are especially punctuated with stressful situations, a fact that could lead to changes in QOL from one year to the next. In our sample, however, age (and not year of study) was the variable that was inversely associated with the psychological, environmental and social domains of QOL. Such a finding could be explained by the particular characteristics of the university from which participants were recruited, since they can study remotely if there are conflicts in their work and school schedules. Given that students who work tend to be older, it would be reasonable that the psychological health, social relationships and environmental health of older students would be negatively impacted due to a greater number of responsibilities (i.e., balancing school and work at once).

Being female has repeatedly been associated with a lower QOL for university students [ 10 , 12 , 54 ]. This finding has often been explained in the following terms: stress is negatively associated with QOL [ 17 , 55 ] and women tend to identify a greater range of situations as stressful, and are more negatively impacted by stressful situations than men [ 50 ]. In the present study, however, gender was not a significant predictor for QOL. Likewise, QOL was not linked to a student’s field of study. These results diverge from most previously reported findings which have suggested that studying health sciences is associated with higher levels of stress and worse QOL due to a range of factors, such as heavy workloads, exacting standards, and the need to work with real-life patients during clinical internships [ 9 , 56 ].

Various studies have argued for the beneficial impact of a balanced diet on QOL, as well as the physical and mental health of the general population [ 57 , 58 ], and university students in particular [ 59 , 60 ]. In this regard, diet quality was only linked to higher QOL in the domains of social relationships and environmental health, and not to the physical or psychological health domains. The direct link between physical activity and higher QOL is plausible from a biological perspective, and has been observed in previous studies [ 61 , 62 ]. However, the present analysis of this association provided surprising results since it revealed a U-shaped relationship for the domains of psychological and environmental health: participants with either high or low levels of physical activity reported a higher QOL. Perhaps these results can be partially explained by the questionnaire used to measure physical activity (IPAQ—Short Version), since it does not draw potentially meaningful distinctions between competitive/recreational activities, individual/team activities or indoor/outdoor activities. All these factors could plausibly influence the QOL domains of psychological health, social relationships and environmental health. Furthermore, the IPAQ—Short Version relies on participants’ ability to recall what exercise they had undertaken over the last seven days. Accordingly, it would be of particular interest to measure levels of physical activity more objectively in future studies on the QOL of Spanish university students.

For the participants of the present study, there was a direct correlation between self-esteem and QOL in all domains. This relationship has previously been reported for university students [ 63 ]. Self-esteem is a multidimensional concept that is influenced by a large range of factors, such as self-image, perception of social support, life experience or the achievement of goals. Thus, a high level of self-esteem improves one’s mindset, positively influences health-related behaviors and fosters emotional wellbeing and stability [ 64 ]. Inversely, low levels of self-esteem are correlated with worse mental health [ 65 , 66 ] and ultimately lower QOL. As previous studies have found [ 67 , 68 ], higher levels of satisfaction with academic performance were linked to higher scores in the physical and psychological health domains of QOL. One possible explanation for the relationship between academic success and higher QOL in the physical health domain could be that students with higher energy levels are able to spend more time studying, which is then reflected in higher grades [ 69 ]. In a similar vein, different studies have shown how physical activity can improve young people’s academic habits and skills and hence boost their academic performance [ 70 , 71 ]. As far as the psychological health domain is concerned, fulfilling one’s own academic goals seems to lead to increased efficiency and self-esteem, both of which would positively impact QOL in this domain [ 11 ].

In this study, the variable that was most strongly correlated to QOL (in all domains) was sleep quality, an association that has repeatedly been reported in the literature [ 18 , 61 ]. University students may have trouble sleeping due to physiological factors and, especially, behavioral ones, such as poor sleep habits, the use of stimulants, alcohol intake, the consumption of caffeinated or energy drinks or an overuse of screens [ 72 , 73 ]. Furthermore, poor sleep quality is related to stress [ 74 ], mood swings [ 75 , 76 ] and lower academic achievement [ 77 , 78 ], all of which could lead to diminishing QOL.

Due to their health implications, several of the present study’s findings deserve special attention: being a smoker, consuming alcohol and having a low body weight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m 2 ) were all related to higher scores in the social relationships domain of QOL. It must be acknowledged that in many western societies, beauty is associated with being thin, and both alcohol and tobacco are widely considered to be important for socializing. Today, there are still prevalent attitudes that encourage insufficient diet as well as normalize drinking and smoking, while downplaying their health consequences [ 79 , 80 ]. Public health authorities should be engaged in forging a broad social consensus that acknowledges the importance of a healthy diet and dissuades adolescents and young adults from taking up smoking and consuming alcohol on a regular basis. On its own, information campaigns will not be sufficient to address the problem since this action needs to be buttressed by other effective policies (e.g., stricter regulations on advertising as well as the tobacco and alcohol industries generally) to protect the health of young people.

While the vast majority of published literature on the QOL of university students has focused on those enrolled in specific degree programs, the present study is, as far as the authors are aware, the first to investigate the QOL of the general population of Spanish university students and a broad range of sociodemographic and behavioral variables. When combined with the large sample size, the approved techniques for collecting data and the plausibility of the results, the scope and design of the study have led the authors to posit that the results can be taken as representative of the larger body of Spanish university students. Accordingly, the authors believe that the present portrait is reliable and can serve as a point of departure for developing and implementing new interventions aimed at improving the various domains of QOL for Spanish university students. Despite this confidence, several limitations of the present study must be acknowledged. First, the transversal design has made it possible to detect associations, but it does not allow us to determine a cause-and-effect relationship or the direction of influence; this is also true for potentially bidirectional relationships, such as the link between QOL and alcohol and tobacco intake or sleep quality. Second, given that the findings come from only one academic center, as a limitation we emphasize that it is not possible to extrapolate them to the total number of centers in our country. Third, our data were collected when the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting public health measures were well underway in Spain. This fact provides valuable information concerning the QOL of Spanish university students in that specific context and, in all likelihood, the results reflect the pandemic’s impact on this population; however, these results do not allow us to determine the precise way in which the pandemic has influenced university students’ QOL. Fourth, our data were collected outside of an exam period, which means that results could very well have been different (i.e., lower scores in the psychological and environmental health domains) had students completed the study questionnaire during an exam period. This hypothesis is based on the assumption that some students see exams as high-stakes events that are emotionally taxing and can increase levels of stress [ 81 , 82 ]. As a result, QOL could fluctuate throughout the academic year, reaching a low point during exams.

Finally, it is quite possible that our theoretical model could be further refined through the inclusion of even more variables, such as satisfaction with one’s field of study, the institutional support available to students (in the classroom and through more general guidance counseling) or the techniques and resources that students use to overcome challenges. Future studies in this area ought to address the limitations of the present study. Accordingly, it would be desirable to conduct longitudinal studies and include an increased number of variables related to education and study habits.

5. Conclusions

Spanish university students reported medium–high levels of QOL (3.77 out of 5), with the physical health domain scoring the highest and the psychological one the lowest. These results, however, showed lower levels of perceived QOL among university students than the general population. A suite of sociodemographic (e.g., age and BMI), academic (satisfaction with academic performance), emotional (self-esteem) and behavioral (the consumption of alcohol and tobacco, sleep practices and diet) factors have been identified to help us significantly predict the QOL of this population.

The present results provide relevant information for policymakers hoping to implement strategies to identify barriers in the physical, psychological, social and environmental domains in order to increase the overall QOL of university students. In this vein, putting into practice activities geared towards improving physical health and the level of socialization, designing health education programs meant to modify unhealthy lifestyle choices and training educators to identify the immediate psychological needs of the student body would all be effective and impactful measures to improve the QOL of university students.

Funding Statement

This research received no external funding.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, E.R.-A. and B.A.J. methodology, E.R.-A.; software E.E.-S.; validation, E.E.-S., formal analysis, E.R.-A.; investigation, I.A.-S.; resources, A.C.-R.; data curation, I.S.-A.; writing—original draft preparation, I.A.-S.; writing—review and editing, E.R.-A.; visualization, A.C.-R.; supervision, B.M.-A.; project administration, B.A.J.; funding acquisition, R.J.-V. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional Review Board Statement

The research protocol was reviewed and approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Aragon (IRB Ref: CP-CI.PI09/93) before the study began. Furthermore, the signing authors affirm that throughout the entire process they followed and applied all national and international ethical standards for research involving human beings.

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

Conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Health, well-being and education: Building a sustainable future. The Moscow statement on Health Promoting Schools

Health Education

ISSN : 0965-4283

Article publication date: 18 March 2020

Issue publication date: 4 June 2020

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the official statement of the Fifth European Conference on Health-Promoting Schools.

Design/methodology/approach

The Fifth European Conference on Health-Promoting Schools was held on 20–22 November 2019 in Moscow, Russian Federation, with over 450 participants from 40 countries. A writing group was established to prepare a draft version of the statement before the conference. On the basis of an online and offline feedback process, the opinions of the participants were collected during the conference and included in the finalisation of the statement.

The final conference statement comprises six thematic categories (values and principles; environment, climate and health; schools as part of the wider community; non-communicable diseases (NCDs); evidence base; and digital media), with a total of 23 recommendations and calls for action.

Originality/value

The recommendations and calls for action reflect current challenges for Health Promoting Schools in Europe. They are addressed to all actors in governmental, non-governmental and other organisations at international, national and regional levels involved in health promotion in schools and are to be applied for the further development of the concept.

• Health Promoting Schools
• Social change
• Child and adolescent health
• School health promotion

Dadaczynski, K. , Jensen, B.B. , Viig, N.G. , Sormunen, M. , von Seelen, J. , Kuchma, V. and Vilaça, T. (2020), "Health, well-being and education: Building a sustainable future. The Moscow statement on Health Promoting Schools", Health Education , Vol. 120 No. 1, pp. 11-19. https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-12-2019-0058

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © Kevin Dadaczynski, Bjarne Bruun Jensen, Nina Grieg Viig, Marjorita Sormunen, Jesper von Seelen, Vladislav Kuchma and Teresa Vilaça

Published in Health Education . Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

1. The Health Promoting Schools approach and its development

The Ottawa Charter, adopted in 1986, was a milestone in the development of a holistic and positive understanding of health that requires actions at different levels, from healthy public policy to the development of personal skills, using different strategies, such as enabling and advocacy approaches ( WHO, 1986 ). The charter can also be regarded as marking the birth of whole-school approaches to health that have been established in Europe and internationally under the term Health Promoting Schools ( Stewart Burgher et al. , 1999 ).

A Health Promoting Schools reflects a holistic approach that moves beyond individual behaviour change by also aiming at organisational change through strengthening the physical and social environment, including interpersonal relationships, school management, policy structures and teaching and learning conditions. This approach can be seen as the result of overcoming traditional health education at school, which aimed to influence students' knowledge, attitudes and behaviour ( Clift and Jensen, 2005 ). In accordance with a social-ecological perspective, health is considered to be the result of a complex interplay of individual, social, socio-economic and cultural factors ( Dahlgreen and Whitehead, 1991 ). Since the early 1990, actions on school health promotion have been coordinated in national networks and the European network on Health Promoting Schools as a WHO supported network. The current work on school health promotion on a European level is organised through the Schools for Health in Europe Network Foundation (SHE), with national representatives from 36 countries.

Values of the Health Promoting Schools approach

Health Promoting Schools ensure equal access for all to the full range of educational and health opportunities. This in the long term makes a significant impact in reducing inequalities in health and in improving the quality and availability of lifelong learning.

Sustainability

Health Promoting Schools acknowledge that health, education and development are closely linked. Schools act as places of academic learning. They support and develop a positive view of pupils' future role in society. Health Promoting Schools develop best when efforts and achievements are implemented in a systematic and continuous way. Desirable and sustainable health and educational outcomes occur mostly in the medium or long term.

Health Promoting Schools celebrate diversity and ensure that schools are communities of learning, where all feel trusted and respected. Good relationships among pupils, between pupils and school staff and between school, parents and the school community are important.

Empowerment

Health Promoting Schools enable children and young people, school staff and all members of the school community to be actively involved in setting health-related goals and in taking actions at school and community level to reach the goals.

Health Promoting Schools are based on democratic values and practise the exercising of rights and taking responsibility.

Pillars of the Health Promoting Schools approach

Whole-school approach to health

Taking a participatory and action-oriented approach to health education in the curriculum;

Taking into account the pupil's own concept of health and well-being;

Developing healthy school policies;

Developing the physical and social environment of the school;

Developing life competencies and health literacy;

Making effective links with home and the community; and

Making efficient use of health services.

Participation

A sense of ownership is fostered by pupils, staff and parents through participation and meaningful engagement, which is a prerequisite for the effectiveness of health-promoting activities in schools.

School quality

Health Promoting Schools support better teaching and learning processes. Healthy pupils learn better, and healthy staff work better and have greater job satisfaction. The school's main task is to maximise educational outcomes. Health Promoting Schools support schools in achieving their educational and social goals.

School health promotion in Europe is informed by existing and emerging research and evidence focused on effective approaches and practice in school health promotion, both on health topics (such as mental health, eating and substance use) and on the whole-school approach.

Schools and communities

Health Promoting Schools engage with the wider community. They endorse collaboration between the school and the community and are active agents in strengthening social capital and health literacy.

Since the establishment of the European network of Health Promoting Schools, four European conferences on Health Promoting Schools have been organised. The resolution of the first conference, held in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1997, stated that every child and young person in Europe had the right to be educated in a Health Promoting Schools and urged governments in all European countries to adopt the Health Promoting Schools approach ( ENHPS, 1997 ). The Egmont Agenda was published in 2002 as a result of the Second European Conference on Health Promoting Schools in The Netherlands and emphasised conditions, programming and evaluation as being essential to developing and sustaining Health Promoting Schools ( ENHPS, 2002 ).

Seven years later, the Third European Conference on Health Promoting Schools was held in Vilnius, Lithuania ( SHE Network, 2009 ). The conference and its resolution marked an important milestone in the development of the Health Promoting Schools approach by highlighting that education and health have shared interests and complement each other. Based on this, joint actions beyond sectoral responsibilities were urged.

The Fourth European Conference was held in Odense, Denmark, in 2013 and resulted in The Odense Statement, which recognised the core values and pillars of school health promotion as a strong contributor to the aims and objectives of the WHO policy framework for health and well-being in Europe, Health 2020 and the EU2020 strategy for inclusive and sustainable growth ( SHE Network, 2013 ).

2. Recent societal challenges

Since the establishment of the Health Promoting School approach in the late 1980s, the world has seen constant societal change, with progressively faster dynamics during recent years. The changes have not only altered substantially the conditions in which people grow up and live, but have also affected behaviours in relation to health, social cohabitation, learning and working. Wars and violence, often rooted in cultural and religious differences or political and economic crisis, and climate change alter significantly the environmental and societal determinants of health ( Mucci et al. , 2016 ; Watts et al. , 2019 ).

Often, it is countries that already are experiencing political and socio-economic instability that feel the effects most ( Reibling et al. , 2017 ). An increase in international migration, commonly in perilous circumstances for migrants and refugees ( Silove et al. , 2017 ), is the consequence, raising social tensions and challenges in many countries, some of which are undergoing political developments characterised by protectionism and isolationism that can partly be seen as a countermovement to the idea, values and principles of Europe ( Harteveld et al. , 2018 ).

In many cases, uncertainty has replaced political, economic, social and individual stability, raising concern and anxiety about the future in young people and adults. This has led to an unprecedented social (grassroots) movement of participation, primarily driven by young people who are demanding social, political, ecological and economic change ( O'Brien, Selboe and Hayward, 2018 ).

These developments should not be seen as being separate from school health promotion, the aim of which is to support young people to develop healthy and self-determined lifestyles and enable them to co-create their social, physical and ecological environments and the determinants of health positively and sustainably ( Clift and Jensen, 2005 ; Simovska and McNamara, 2015 ). As the conditions for growing up and living together change, the question arises of how schools, as places for health-related teaching, learning and development, need to adapt.

Where does the Health Promoting School approach stand today, more than 30 years after the Ottawa Charter on health promotion? Can the Health Promoting School, with its holistic orientation, deliver on its promise of addressing health inequalities and improving children's and young people's health, well-being and academic achievement? To what extent can school health promotion be implemented systematically in schools and be linked to local communities?

These and more questions were raised and discussed during the Fifth European Conference on Health Promoting School, culminating in recommendations for the future development of the Health Promoting School approach.

3. The Fifth European Conference on Health Promoting Schools

The Fifth European Conference on Health Promoting Schools was held on 20–22 November 2019 in Moscow, Russian Federation, with over 450 participants from 40 countries.

A range of topics was addressed through more than 160 contributions and nine keynote presentations focusing on conceptual aspects of the Health Promoting School approach, implementation and dissemination and current social change processes, such as digitisation and heterogeneity.

Holistic approaches to school-based health promotion and health education (such as organizational change and environmental approaches to school health promotion and strategies to promote individual and organizational health literacy in schools);

Implementation and dissemination of school-based health promotion and health education (facilitators and barriers to implementing interventions in school-based health promotion and professional development and capacity-building of, for example, teachers, non-teaching school staff, school health services, parents and external professionals);

Networking and intersectoral collaboration in school-based health promotion and health education (schools as part of the wider community, and multisectoral partnerships at local, national and international levels);

Innovative approaches to dealing with heterogeneity, inclusion and special needs (pupils' and teachers' health in inclusive schooling, school-based health promotion and education for refugees, students with special needs and innovative approaches to school-based health services); and

Digital media and information and communications technology (ICT) in school health promotion and health education (practical approaches to ICT use in school-based health promotion and digital devices and media as a target for interventions and a means to promote health and well-being).

4. Recommendations for action

Be based on democratic processes and foster equal access, active involvement and participation;

Take into account the needs and background of all young people regardless of their gender, geographical, cultural and social background or religious beliefs: in that sense, a Health Promoting School can be seen as an inclusive school that celebrates heterogeneity and diversity as an enriching dimension for mutual learning, respect and acceptance;

Reflect a whole-school approach addressing different target groups and combining classroom activities with development of school policies, the physical, social and cultural environment of the school and the necessary capacities needed: we welcome new and established concepts and approaches within school-based health promotion, such as health literacy, salutogenesis, action competence and life skills, which should complement each other and be integrated in the holistic framework of the Health Promoting School approach; and

Be systematically linked with educational goals and school quality as part of a so-called add-in approach: based on rich evidence, a Health Promoting School can be regarded as a school that not only promotes and maintains health, but also strives for successful learning for pupils and working conditions for teaching and non-teaching staff, and involves parents and families in the school's daily life.

Urge all stakeholders in health and climate/sustainability education to work together systematically to support young people to grow up and live healthily and sustainably;

Urge all stakeholders to support and empower young people to raise their voice and make a lasting contribution to shaping a healthy and sustainable future for themselves and their fellow human beings;

Call for actions to link planetary health and the Health Promoting School approach more explicitly by, for instance, integrating the impact of human action on the environment and its health consequences into school curricula and everyday life; and

Call for realignment of health-promotion research agendas to address environmental challenges in, with and through schools.

All actors to move from a single-setting approach to an integrated multi-setting approach that systematically links actions at school level with actions in the local community: these actions should not be implemented in isolation, but in a coordinated fashion to create synergies and avoid discontinuities;

Intersectoral collaboration among different actors and professions, such as teachers, school health services and social and youth-care services: this requires professional development, and that existing local networks and their leadership capacities be strengthened to align sectoral policies and enable the development of a common vision and language; and

All actors to strengthen links with existing national and regional cooperation mechanisms, such as Health Promoting School networks and healthy city or healthy region networks, by pursuing joint objectives and actions.

A resource-oriented intervention approach (as described in the SHE values and pillars) be taken to tackle NCDs rather than a traditional top-down and disease-oriented approach, which normally dominates interventions related to risk factors;

Young people be viewed as part of the solution and not only as part of the problem of NCDs – we need to work with young people as powerful agents of healthy change and not as victims and recipients of risk factors;

A school environment that promotes healthy practices in areas like healthy eating, physical activity, social and emotional well-being and good hygiene be created; and

Commercial determinants are addressed by empowering young people to become critical and responsible citizens who are able to understand and critically reflect on media advertising and market mechanisms through, for instance, consumer education.

Call for evaluation approaches that reflect the complexity of the Health Promoting School by, for example, applying mixed-methods designs and considering graded health and educational outcomes;

Demand that the available scientific evidence be reviewed and evaluated using existing tools and be translated into recommendations for practical action;

Urge that a one-sided focus on outcomes research be augmented by focusing also on implementation to identify the conditions under which interventions can be effective, systematically linking both research perspectives; and

Call for systematic and strong partnerships between researchers and practitioners who develop and implement innovative interventions in school health promotion and those who conduct empirical surveys on child and adolescent health (such as the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study) and the health of teaching and non-teaching staff. By sharing available social-epidemiological data, previously untried evaluation potential can be exploited.

Call on all actors in school health promotion to use the possibilities of digital media in the context of research, development, implementation and exchange of innovative interventions and good practice;

Urge all actors to use digital media as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for, non-digital (face-to-face) school health-promotion actions;

Call on all actors to ensure that the use of digital media does not lead to a step back to individual and behavioural prevention, but rather is used at organisational level to, for instance, build capacity, communicate with partners outside the school and promote low-threshold participation in change processes within the school; and

Call for actions to empower individuals and whole-school systems to deal effectively with health information complexity, including its critical assessment, selection and use and to take responsibility for providing suitable and reliable health information.

The Health Promoting School approach

Buijs , G.J. ( 2009 ), “ Better schools through health: networking for health promoting schools in Europe ”, European Journal of Education , Vol. 44 No. 4 , pp. 507 - 520 .

Clift , S. and Jensen , B.B. ( 2005 ), The Health Promoting School: International Advances in Theory, Evaluation and Practice , Danish University of Education Press , Copenhagen .

Dahlgren , G. and Whitehead , M. ( 1981 ), Policies and Strategies to Promote Social Equality in Health , Institute of Future Studies , Stockholm .

European Network of Health Promoting Schools (ENHPS) ( 2002 ), The Egmond Agenda. A New Tool to Help Establish and Develop Health Promotion in Schools and Related Sectors across Europe , available at: https://tinyurl.com/y2py8wzr ( accessed 19 November 2019 ).

European Network of Health Promoting Schools (ENHPS) ( 1997 ), “ Conference resolution ”, available at: https://tinyurl.com/wcunrec ( accessed 19 November 2019 ).

Harteveld , E. , Schaper , J. , De Lange , S.L. and Van Der Brug , W. ( 2018 ), “ Blaming Brussels? the impact of (news about) the refugee crisis on attitudes towards the EU and national politics ”, JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies , Vol. 56 No. 1 , pp. 157 - 177 .

Mucci , N. , Giorgi , G. , Roncaioli , M. , Perez , J.F. and Arcangeli , G. ( 2016 ), “ The correlation between stress and economic crisis: a systematic review ”, Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment , Vol. 12 , pp. 983 - 993 .

O'Brien , K. , Selboe , E. and Hayward , B. ( 2018 ), “ Exploring youth activism on climate change: dutiful, disruptive, and dangerous dissent ”, Ecology and Society , Vol. 23 No. 3 , p. 42 .

Reibling , N. , Beckfield , J. , Huijts , T. , Schmidt-Catran , A. , Thomson , K.H. and Wendt , C. ( 2017 ), “ Depressed during the depression: has the economic crisis affected mental health inequalities in Europe? findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the determinants of health ”, The European Journal of Public Health , Vol. 27 Suppl 1 , pp. 47 - 54 .

Schools for Health in Europe (SHE) Network ( 2013 ), “ The Odense Statement. Our ABC for equity, education and health ”, available at: https://tinyurl.com/rk8rh5e ( accessed 19 November 2019 ).

Schools for Health in Europe (SHE) Network ( 2009 ), “ Better schools through health: the Third European Conference on Health Promoting Schools. Vilnius resolution ”, available at: https://tinyurl.com/qskr692 ( accessed 19 November 2019 ).

Silove , D. , Ventevogel , P. and Rees , S. ( 2017 ), “ The contemporary refugee crisis: an overview of mental health challenges ”, World Psychiatry , Vol. 16 No. 2 , pp. 130 - 139 .

Simovska , V. and McNamara , P. (Eds) ( 2015 ), Schools for Health and Sustainability , Springer , Dordrecht .

Stewart Burgher , M. , Barnekow , V. and Rivett , D. ( 1999 ), The European Network of Health Promoting Schools. The Alliance of Education and Health , WHO Regional Office for Europe , Copenhagen .

Watts , N. , Amann , M. , Arnell , N. , Ayeb-Karlsson , S. , Belesova , K. , Boykoff , M. , … and Chambers , J. ( 2019 ), “ The 2019 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: ensuring that the health of a child born today is not defined by a changing climate ”, The Lancet , Vol. 394 No. 10211 , pp. 1836 - 1878 .

WHO ( 2016 ), Declaration: Partnerships for the Health and Well-Being of Our Young and Future Generations. Working Together for Better Health and Well-Being: Promoting Intersectoral and Interagency Action for Health and Well-Being in the WHO European Region , WHO Regional Office for Europe , Copenhagen .

WHO ( 1986 ), “ Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion ”, available at: https://tinyurl.com/mohfbn6 ( accessed 19 November 2019 ).

Acknowledgements

This publication has received funding under an operating grant from the European Union's Health Programme.

Corresponding author

Related articles, all feedback is valuable.

Please share your general feedback

Report an issue or find answers to frequently asked questions

Contact Customer Support

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Impact of the covid-19 pandemic on online learning in higher education: a bibliometric analysis.

• 1 Faculty of Public Administration, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
• 2 Department of Primary Level Education, University of the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted higher education by forcing the transition to online learning, which became a mandatory teaching process during the lockdowns. Although the epidemiological situation has gradually improved since then, online learning is becoming ever more popular as it provides new learning opportunities. Therefore, the paper aims to present recent research trends concerning online learning in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic by using selected bibliometric approaches. The bibliometric analysis is based on 8,303 documents from the Scopus database published between January 2020 and March 2022, when repeated lockdowns meant most countries were experiencing constant disruptions to the educational process. The results show that the COVID-19 pandemic increased interest in online learning research, notably in English-speaking and Asian countries, with most research being published in open-access scientific journals. Moreover, the topics most frequently discussed in the online learning research during the COVID-19 pandemic were ICT and pedagogy, technology-enhanced education, mental health and well-being, student experience and curriculum and professional development. Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged explorations of emergency remote learning approaches like e-learning, distance learning and virtual learning, which are intended to limit physical contact between teachers and students, where the specific requirements of a given field of study often guide which online learning approach is the most suitable. The findings add to the existing body of scientific knowledge and support the evidence-based policymaking needed to ensure sustainable higher education in the future.

1. Introduction

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted higher education by forcing the transition to online learning, which became a mandatory teaching process during the lockdowns ( Aristovnik et al., 2020a ). Despite the educational process saw disruptions on all levels of education, i.e., primary, secondary and tertiary ( Tang, 2023 ), as well as in adult education ( James and Thériault, 2020 ), worker education ( Dedeilia et al., 2023 ) and lifelong education ( Waller et al., 2020 ), higher education students proved to be one of the worst affected groups because the social distancing measures, on top of their education, challenged their financial and housing situation ( Aristovnik et al., 2020a ). Challenges arising from the density of students in educational facilities (e.g., campuses, faculties, dormitories etc.) meant higher education institutions were forced to offer education relying on various information and communication technologies (ICTs) and tried to ensure education comparable in quality to traditional learning, noting that the quality of online learning delivery holds important implications for student satisfaction and student performance ( Keržič et al., 2021 ). Nevertheless, the lockdown periods were devastating for many students also in terms of their emotional functioning ( Raccanello et al., 2022 ). The COVID-19 pandemic eventually grew more predictable and manageable, allowing higher education institutions to gradually shift back to traditional learning approaches. Although the epidemiological situation has improved over time, online learning is becoming increasingly popular as it provides new learning opportunities, especially when combined with traditional learning.

The rapid, yet from the health protection point of view necessary ( Aristovnik et al., 2020b ), shift from traditional learning to online learning considerably affected teaching and learning. The transition to online learning was made without adequate consideration of whether the study materials and teaching methods were suitable for this mode of higher education delivery. This was an ad hoc shift in a situation of great uncertainty for both teachers and students. The transition to online learning has also brought to the surface gaps in higher education providers’ preparedness and their lack of ICT infrastructure, resulting in unequal access to quality education for all, particularly students from rural areas and regions with lower socio-economic development. It is important to note here that the rapid shift to an online learning environment in emergency circumstances should not be confused with properly planned online education equipped with appropriate infrastructure that enables and supports pedagogical work and study in an online environment ( Hodges et al., 2020 ; Fuchs, 2022 ; Misiejuk et al., 2023 ). Apart from the changes in teaching and learning, the social aspect of students’ lives has been affected as well. The most worrying consequence has been social isolation leading to a lack of crucial social interaction for students ( Elmer et al., 2020 ; Bonsaksen et al., 2021 ; Fried et al., 2021 ; Van der Graaf et al., 2021 ) and in some cases also in coronavirus-related post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) ( Ochnik et al., 2021 ). According to Gavriluţă et al. (2022) , three dimensions affected students during the COVID-19 pandemic: educational, social, and emotional. The transition from traditional to online learning entailed a significant transformation in education, requiring changes in teaching practices and new learning approaches. Further, the social aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns is evident in the absence of relational, economic and professional problems (in)directly affecting the transition to adulthood. The new reality changed attitudes to various aspects of life and, in turn, also affected emotional responsiveness. Briefly, substantial changes to everyday student lives were made during the COVID-19 pandemic that may hold far-reaching effects of currently unknown scope in the near and distant future ( Campos et al., 2022 ; Gao et al., 2022 ; Keržič et al., 2022 ; Rasli et al., 2022 ).

Therefore, the educational community requires greater insights into different aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on online learning, e.g., students, teachers, pedagogy, ICT technology, online learning approaches and implications for various fields of study. In the context of higher education, some bibliometric studies (e.g., Gurcan et al., 2022 ; Saqr et al., 2023 ) have already sought to address issues involving online learning during the pandemic. Yet, they relied on a limited and narrow bibliographic dataset of peer-reviewed literature or lacked a qualitative synthesis of the results beyond the metrics, thereby neglecting some general comprehensive outlines of the global research into the topic ( Saqr et al., 2023 ). Moreover, despite some bibliometric studies focusing on technical aspects (e.g., Navarro-Espinosa et al., 2021 ; Bozkurt, 2022 ; Tlili et al., 2022 ), the identification of the most effective ICT tools for specific online learning approaches remains unclear. Finally, there are also some bibliometric studies that attempt to determine the effectiveness of online learning in providing higher education ( Brika et al., 2021 ; Baber et al., 2022 ; Bilal et al., 2022 ; Bozkurt, 2022 ; Fauzi, 2022 ; Küçük-Avci et al., 2022 ; Yan et al., 2022 ), however, they often overlook the specific requirements of individual fields of study, thereby neglecting the crucial aspect of tailoring online learning provision to different disciplines.

The bibliometric study presented in the paper accordingly aims to fill the presented gaps in the literature. Specifically, it aims to present a global overview of the recent research trends in online learning in higher education using a comprehensive dataset of literature encompassing different varieties of online learning approaches that can facilitate online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, provide some relevant qualitative synthesis of the results beyond the metrics and examine the relationships between ICT tools, online learning approaches and fields of study. Thus, the present bibliometric study, focusing on higher education, tries to answer the following three research questions:

• RQ1: What is the current state of the online learning research by conducting a descriptive overview and identifying top-cited documents?

• RQ2: What is the scientific production of online learning research across countries and sources?

• RQ3: Which are the main research hotspots and concepts in online learning research?

The remainder of the paper is structured as follows. The next section provides a literature review of recent bibliometric studies. The following section outlines the materials and methods applied in the study before the results of the present bibliometric analysis are described in the next section. At the end, the final section provides a discussion and conclusion while summarizing the main findings and implications.

2. Literature review

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic led many governments to expand the use of online learning approaches as a solution to the global health challenge. Researchers thus showed rising interest in investigating the field of online learning, its dimensions, and its trends on all levels of education, particularly higher education. Such research relied heavily on bibliometric approaches to analyzing scientific research in the higher education context. Pham et al. (2022) concluded based on the 414 articles that although in the decades prior, there was an increase in the number of articles touching on the components of e-learning, such as the learning management system, this rise was accelerated during the pandemic in both developed and developing countries. This may be attributed to the attention of governmental policies that considered the topic of e-learning to be critical and worthy of priority. Similarly, Fauzi (2022) investigated 1,496 articles and concluded that the research focused on a few specific topics. The first is the delivery factor, which refers to selecting the appropriate learning practices. The second is the health and safety factor that relates to minimizing any risk that e-learning could bring to the mental and physical health of learners or teachers, such as stress, anxiety or even depression. The third topic refers to the field of study and the impact of e-learning. In areas like medical education, where clinical activities and labs have to be attended in person, some online learning approaches might be less appropriate than when used in other areas, such as social studies, where the requirements are less complex or different. Zhang et al. (2022) confirmed this finding after performing bibliometric research on 1,061 articles published between January 2020 and August 2021. They explained that theorists and researchers showed a growing interest in ways to respond to crises, such as the pandemic, and how to develop the best practices to ensure the quality and efficiency of e-learning. Examples of such practices might be inquiry-oriented learning and hands-on activities. This could derive from the already existing tendency of education researchers to respond to unprecedented global challenges or changes. The authors explain that this conclusion addresses interest in e-learning practices holistically.

In the same context, Yan et al. (2022) employed a bibliometric approach and identified that various digital tools are used in e-learning in the field of health studies. After investigating 132 studies, they concluded that selecting appropriate tools depends on many factors, including the field of a given course, the aims, and their effectiveness. They add that these findings can be significant for groups of people such as experts or trainee teachers. Okoro et al. (2022) researched 1,722 articles published between 2012 and 2021 and detected a surge in interest in the mental health of postgraduate students, as revealed by the research trends discussed in these articles. Still, they describe this surge as having been greater between 2020 and 2021, which may be attributed to the COVID-19 restrictions and their implications. Moreover, they believe that this research focus will likely continue soon.

After looking at 2,307 articles published between 2017 and 2021, Baber et al. (2022) detected an increasing trend in researching digital literacy. While this was underway before the pandemic, the latter caused a statistically significant further surge. Digital literacy is approached in the studied articles through parameters like instruction, teachers, learners, ICT and its applications, content knowledge, competencies, skills, perceptions, and higher education. It is also associated with acquiring the qualities required to deal with topics such as misinformation, fake news, technological content knowledge, health literacy, COVID-19, and distance education. The authors state that their study identified dynamics hidden in these research trends, which will likely continue in the next few years.

In higher education specifically, based on 602 articles, Brika et al. (2021) corroborated the growing trend of publishing articles on e-learning during the pandemic and outlined certain sub-topics of it, namely: motivation and students’ attitudes; blended and virtual learning comparison; types of online assessment; stress, anxiety and mental health; strategies to improve learners’ skills; quality; performance of the education delivered; challenges; and the potential of technology to lead to change and reform of higher education syllabi or curricula. The scope of those articles was to paint a bigger picture of how higher education communities and institutions use and treat online learning. This is expected to help with efficient decision-making in the future in order to have better results and functions in higher education and appropriate response to crises.

The bibliometric studies carried out during the pandemic identified a trend among researchers in higher education institutions to investigate more the technology factor and how the progress of the Internet, along with information and communication technologies generally, can further assist new modes of learning, such as online learning and distance learning. This might be attributed to a vision for a better means for new types of learning, as Küçük-Avci et al. (2022) claimed after carrying out a bibliometric analysis of 1,547 articles published between 2020 and 2021. The authors detected certain trends regarding distance learning in higher education. A main finding of their study, along with the increase in studies on distance education and e-learning in higher education, is that before the pandemic, the fact that these approaches were not so mandatory meant there was greater efficiency, probably due to the learners’ motivation. The authors further claim that researchers show a stronger interest in the technological means that can assist these types of learning. In addition, while researching 1,986 articles, Bozkurt (2022) established an increase in the implementation of blended learning by researchers who also aim to investigate the relationship between technological applications and learning institutions. Within these tendencies, researchers consider four thematic fields: a comparison of online and onsite learning with regard to effectiveness and efficiency; the experience, impressions and attitudes of stakeholders and learning community members with respect to blended learning; teacher training and curriculum development that will assure the appropriate and challenge-free implementation of blended learning; and the use of mostly a quantitative approach to research of blended learning.

Bilal et al. (2022) also examined research trends concerned with e-learning in higher education during the COVID-19 period by researching 1,595 studies published between 2020 and 2021. The four main trends they identified were supplementary to those mentioned by other authors: the first is about the challenges regarding online learning or blended learning along with the appropriate strategies in response; the second is student-centered collaborative learning and appropriate curriculum design; the third concerns home-based learning through a type of laboratory and the general conditions surrounding it; and the fourth addresses teachers’ background, training, professional competencies and interdisciplinary learning.

Tlili et al. (2022) focused on mapping COVID-19’s impact on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The overall finding from the 108 articles they considered is that there has been growing interest in these courses generally, and more specifically in research around their function and quality. This interest encompasses the main features of such courses, which provide easy accessibility and flexibility. However, they noted that this interest followed another trend among researchers in the context. In other words, the countries that published on MOOCs before the pandemic are the same countries that published during the period under study. Moreover, they stated that there is interest in the technical characteristics and requirements of such courses. Finally, the authors concluded that although most MOOCs were ICT courses, research has escalated into courses that refer to business, personal development or the humanities.

Several conclusions can be drawn from the above bibliometric studies. First, the series of bibliometric studies conducted during the pandemic demonstrates the rise of interest in online learning in higher education during the pandemic. Of course, there was a tendency toward e-learning before the pandemic, but between 2020 and 2022, this seems to have accelerated. The phenomenon is more intense in countries such as the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK, India and China. Concerning the area of study, the focus of researchers appears to be greater in fields such as Engineering, Sciences, and Health Sciences, albeit all fields seem to be investigated ( Djeki et al., 2022 ; Pham et al., 2022 ; Vaicondam et al., 2022 ; Zhang et al., 2022 ). Various studies have focused on determining the effectiveness of e-learning classes and courses or pointing out parameters that influence their effectiveness. These could be the appropriate conditions or subtopics like motivation, blended learning, learning tools, teacher training, cooperation between different institutions or efficient practices ( Brika et al., 2021 ; Baber et al., 2022 ; Bilal et al., 2022 ; Bozkurt, 2022 ; Fauzi, 2022 ; Küçük-Avci et al., 2022 ; Yan et al., 2022 ). A specific trend of authors is to examine virtual classes and laboratories ( Kartimi et al., 2022 ; Rojas-Sánchez et al., 2022 ; Zhang et al., 2022 ). Finally, there is a focus on the technology factor. Namely, researchers have concentrated on technical issues and conditions related to e-learning courses and their proper functioning ( Navarro-Espinosa et al., 2021 ; Bozkurt, 2022 ; Tlili et al., 2022 ).

3. Materials and methods

Comprehensive bibliometric data on online learning research during the COVID-19 pandemic were retrieved on 1 March 2022 from Scopus, a world-leading bibliographic database of peer-reviewed literature. The Scopus database was preferred because it has a broader coverage of scientific research than other databases such as Web of Science ( Falagas et al., 2008 ). This was confirmed by an initial search using the same search query in each database, revealing that Scopus provided more relevant documents than Web of Science. Moreover, compared to the Scopus database, the Web of Science has been found to be a database that significantly underrepresents the scientific disciplines of the Social Sciences and the Arts and Humanities ( Mongeon and Paul-Hus, 2016 ). Although English dominates in both Scopus and Web of Science, Scopus generally offers wider coverage of non-English documents, given that the titles, abstracts, and keywords are in English ( Vera-Baceta et al., 2019 ). According to the basic statistical theory, which can also be applied in the context of bibliometric analysis, larger samples lead to analytical outcomes that are likely to be more accurate ( Rogers et al., 2020 ). Therefore, Scopus appears to be a more relevant bibliographic database meeting the specifics of online learning research during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The search strategy was based on title, abstract, and keywords search using the advanced search engine and the search query covered keywords related to different online learning types (using the Boolean operator ‘OR’) and the COVID-19 pandemic (using the Boolean operator ‘AND’). The search was further limited to the period 2020–2022 (using the Boolean operator ‘AND’) to capture documents published between January 2020 and March 2022, when most countries were experiencing constant disruptions in the educational process imposed by repeated lockdowns. As the search query had no language restrictions, the full text of the obtained documents can be in any language, provided that the titles, abstracts, and keywords are in English. Therefore, the language has no impact on the results, as the bibliometric analysis is conducted solely based on the titles, abstracts, and keywords of the documents. According to the presented search query, 9,921 documents were obtained. After further revising the obtained documents, it was identified that some of them are not explicitly related to the context of higher education. By machine screening of documents by title, abstract, and keywords, those related to lower levels of education (i.e., primary and secondary education), as well as adult and worker education (i.e., lifelong education), were excluded from the database. There were 1,618 or 16% of such documents. The remaining 8,303 documents were identified as eligible for further bibliometric examination of online learning research during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bibliometric analysis utilized several bibliometric approaches ( Figure 1 ).

Figure 1 . Bibliometric approaches used in the bibliometric analysis. Own elaboration.

First, a descriptive overview was conducted to examine particular general bibliometric items, including timespan, number of (all, cited, single-authored) documents, authors, sources and author keywords and authors, references, and citations per document as well as to identify the most relevant documents. Scientific production was also examined to determine the most relevant countries and sources. Finally, network analysis was performed to identify the research hotspots according to the keyword co-occurrence network and examine the relationship between the main concepts based on a three-field plot analysis. The presented bibliometric approaches required the use of several different software tools. The descriptive overview was conducted using the Python Data Analysis Library Pandas ( McKinney, 2012 ), scientific production was visualized by the Python Visualization Library Matplotlib ( Hunter, 2007 ), while network analysis was performed using VOSviewer (keyword co-occurrence) ( Van Eck and Waltman, 2010 ) and the Python Visualization Library Plotly (a three-field plot) ( Pandey and Panchal, 2020 ). Specifically, the calculation for the three-field plot analysis included the following steps. Suppose that C 1 , C 2 , … , C m are analysed concepts where each concept C i is defined by a set of keywords and represented by binary indicators W i 1 , W i 2 , … , W i k i , expressed as C i = max j = 1 , … , k i W i j for i = 1 , … , m (matrix column). Using this notation, the relationship between C i and C j can be defined as C 1 T ∗ C j (matrix multiplication) where i and j are from three different sets (ICT tools, online learning approaches, fields of study).

The descriptive overview presented in Table 1 shows the main characteristics of online learning and COVID-19 research in the higher education context. This research area covers a total of 8,303 documents (of which 7,922 (95%) have the full text in English) published in 2,447 sources between January 2020 and March 2022. Slightly less than half (46%) of these documents have at least one citation, while a relatively small number (15%) were written by a single author. The average number of references per document in this research area is 31.39, which is below the general scientific area of Educational Research (44.00) ( Patience et al., 2017 ), suggesting that online learning research during the COVID-19 pandemic is grounded on fewer existing studies than general research. Finally, 3.50 citations per document can be observed for this research area. Due to the potential benefits of online learning, especially when combined with the traditional learning approaches and hence the development of the blended learning environment, this research is expected to further develop and be extended in the ensuing years ( Fauzi, 2022 ). Further, upon analyzing the documents, it is evident that the average year of references is 2014.03, with an h-index of 60 (indicating at least 60 papers with 60 or more citations each) and a g-index of 94 (denoting that the top 94 publications have accumulated citations equal to or greater than the square of 94). Finally, it was found that within the examined dataset, a total of 1,334 documents (16%) have achieved a minimum of 5 citations (C5), while 691 documents (8%) have attained at least 10 citations (C10), 302 documents (4%) have obtained a minimum of 20 citations (C20), 79 documents (1%) have acquired at least 50 citations (C50), and 31 documents (0.4%) have obtained more than 100 citations (C100).

Table 1 . Descriptive overview of online learning and COVID-19 research (2020–2022).

The most relevant (top-10) highly cited documents in online learning and COVID-19 research in the context of higher education are shown in Table 2 . The overview of the most relevant documents reveals several important topics that were intensively discussed. The first most relevant topic concerns ICT. The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges for higher education, especially for medical and surgical education, which requires personal attendance in clinical activities and labs. Accordingly, several innovative ICT tools (i.e., videoconferencing, social media, and telemedicine) and online learning approaches (i.e., flipped classroom or blended learning and virtual learning) were proposed to address this challenge. It is also stressed that by using appropriately established ICT solutions, online learning can lead to more sustainable education ( Adedoyin and Soykan, 2020 ; Chick et al., 2020 ; Dedeilia et al., 2020 ).

Table 2 . Most relevant documents in online learning and COVID-19 research (2020–2022).

The next top-cited topic relates to pedagogy. The disruption of education around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic required teachers to possess specific pedagogical content knowledge related to designing and organizing better learning experiences with digital technologies. At the same time, challenges for online assessment and post-pandemic pedagogy are also highlighted ( García Peñalvo et al., 2020 ; Iyer et al., 2020 ; Murphy, 2020 ; Rapanta et al., 2020 ). Finally, life and work is another of the most cited topics. Namely, the COVID-19 pandemic has considerably reshaped education and other aspects of life and work, often also through the perspective of mental health or emotional well-being ( Dwivedi et al., 2020 ; Kapasia et al., 2020 ; Aristovnik et al., 2020a ).

Furthermore, it is noteworthy that all of the highly cited documents were published in 2020. However, it is also evident that there are notable and highly relevant publications that emerged in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, there are two documents with a minimum of 100 citations published in 2021. In the COVID-19 pandemic context, Watermeyer et al. (2021) , with 148 citations, examined the implications of digital disruption in universities within the United Kingdom, highlighting the challenges and opportunities arising from the emergency shift to online learning. Meanwhile, Pokhrel and Chhetri (2021) conducted a literature review to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning.

The scientific production across countries and sources is presented in terms of the number of documents and citations, whereby additional information is provided by a circle’s size, revealing the h-index as a measure of the scientific impact ( Harzing and Van Der Wal, 2009 ) and by its color, presenting the time dimension in scientific production. The most relevant (top-10) highly cited countries in online learning and COVID-19 research are shown in Figure 2 . While the United States of America stands out among all countries, the United Kingdom, China and India have a relatively large number of documents and citations. The findings are similar to those of other bibliometric studies on this topic ( Saqr et al., 2023 ).

Figure 2 . Most relevant countries in online learning and COVID-19 research (2020–2022). Own elaboration based on the Scopus database.

The most relevant (top-10) highly cited sources in online learning and COVID-19 research in the context of higher education are presented in Figure 3 . Despite conference proceedings being prominent in terms of the relatively high number of documents, the most prominent journals, considering the number of citations, are Journal of Chemical Education, with the highest number of citations as well as documents, followed by Sustainability, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, and Education Sciences. More specifically, the most relevant journals address different topics. First, Journal of Chemical Education covers the attempts, successes and failures of distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in chemistry education. It covers various topics, including the development of at-home practical activities ( Schultz et al., 2020 ), student engagement and learning ( Perets et al., 2020 ), online assessments ( Nguyen et al., 2020 ) and virtual reality labs ( Williams et al., 2021 ). Further, Sustainability is focused on student and teacher perceptions of e-learning and related challenges ( Khan et al., 2020 ; Aristovnik et al., 2020a ) and sustainability in education during the COVID-19 pandemic ( Sobaih et al., 2020 ) to improve online learning and sustain higher education during uncertain times. Further, the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health covers various topics like the health and psychological implications of the COVID-19 pandemic ( Sundarasen et al., 2020 ), including well-being and changes in behavior and habits. Finally, Education Sciences publishes some general research on the challenges and opportunities for online learning ( Almazova et al., 2020 ), including student and teacher experiences ( García-Alberti et al., 2021 ; Müller et al., 2021 ).

Figure 3 . Most relevant sources in online learning and COVID-19 research (2020–2022). Own elaboration based on the Scopus database.

The keyword co-occurrence network is presented in Figure 4 . Note that the nodes indicate keywords and the links the relations of co-occurrence between them. The node size is proportional to the number of keyword occurrences, showing the research intensity (node degree), while the link width is proportional to the co-occurrences between keywords (edge weight). In addition, the node color indicates the cluster to which a particular keyword belongs ( Wang et al., 2020 ; Ravšelj et al., 2022 ). The keyword co-occurrence analysis reveals five research hotspots in online learning in higher education research during the COVID-19 pandemic. These are ICT and pedagogy (red cluster), technology-enhanced education (green cluster), mental health and well-being (blue cluster), student experience (yellow cluster) and curriculum and professional development (purple cluster).

Figure 4 . Keyword co-occurrence network in online learning and COVID-19 research (2020–2022). Own elaboration based on the Scopus database.

A detailed synopsis of the research hotspots, including representative (the most frequent) keywords and documents (with several representative keywords), is presented in Table 3 . The first research hotspot highlights the relevance of ICT and pedagogy in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most representative documents looked at the quality of online learning mechanisms ( Gritsova and Tissen, 2021 ), active learning activities ( Yan et al., 2021 ) and the role of e-learning departments in controlling the quality of academic processes ( Hamdan et al., 2021 ). The second research hotspot refers to technology-enhanced education from different perspectives, such as opportunities to incorporate technological and curricular innovations ( Shapiro and Reza, 2021 ), the adoption of different virtual experiences such as telehealth and virtual learning ( Kahwash et al., 2021 ), and the utilization of social media to reach higher education students ( Leighton et al., 2021 ). The third research hotspot emphasizes the problem of mental health and well-being issues that became a prevalent topic of discussion during the COVID-19 pandemic. Namely, several studies showed an increase in depression, anxiety and stress levels among higher education students in response to the COVID-19 pandemic ( Abu Kwaik et al., 2021 ; Keskin, 2021 ; Yaghi, 2022 ). The fourth cluster is about student experience during the COVID-19 pandemic with specific focus on the between interaction and online learning satisfaction ( Bawa'aneh, 2021 ; Bismala and Manurung, 2021 ; She et al., 2021 ). The fifth research hotspot underscores the relevance of curriculum and professional development. Several studies described the ways in which courses were adapted to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the related challenges and strategies ( Chen et al., 2020 ; Gonzalez and Knecht, 2020 ; Rhile, 2020 ).

Table 3 . Research hotspots based on the author keyword co-occurrence network in online learning and COVID-19 research (2020–2022).

Finally, the three-field plot analysis of the relationship between the main concepts (i.e., ICT tools, online learning approaches, fields of study) is presented in a Sankey diagram shown in Figure 5 . The size of a rectangle corresponds to the number of documents for each theme, while the edge width reflects the inclusion index for connected themes ( Wang et al., 2020 ; Ravšelj et al., 2022 ). These three concepts have been proven to be relevant in the context of online learning. Namely, ICT tools are a precondition for delivering course content through different online learning approaches, while the choice of online learning approaches may depend on the field of study ( Ferri et al., 2020 ). During the COVID-19 pandemic, most attention was devoted to exploring e-learning (a combination of asynchronous and synchronous learning), distance learning (pre-recorded online lectures), followed by virtual learning (real-time online lectures). Since all these online learning approaches limit physical contact between teachers and students, they have been referred to as emergency remote learning approaches ( Hodges et al., 2020 ; Fauzi, 2022 ; Fuchs, 2022 ), while other online learning approaches (computer-based learning, blended learning, m-learning) do not necessarily take place in an online learning environment. The emergency remote learning approaches were primarily supported by several ICT tools, particularly by social media (e.g., Facebook), gamification/simulation and virtual reality (integration of game-like elements into online learning platforms, mobile applications, or virtual reality simulations), Zoom and other videoconferencing platforms, as well as telehealth (for educating health professionals). Regarding the fields of study, e-learning, distance learning and virtual learning were mostly addressed in the context of medical/health education, while computer-based learning (i.e., specific engineering software programs etc.) was examined in the context of engineering education. This implies that the specific requirements of a given field of study often guide the selection of the most suitable online learning approaches ( Fauzi, 2022 ).

Figure 5 . Three-field plot showing the network between ICT tools (left), online approaches (middle), and fields of study (right) (2020–2022). Own elaboration based on the Scopus database.

5. Conclusion

The presented bibliometric study provides several important insights arising from research into online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this period, a large volume of scientific knowledge was produced in the context of education that considered a range of aspects ( Saqr et al., 2023 ). Therefore, a combination of selected bibliometric approaches was utilized to extract some general comprehensive outlines of the global research. The bibliometric analysis revealed the following.

As suggested by the descriptive overview of the state of Educational Research ( Patience et al., 2017 ), the research into online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic is characterized by greater cooperation between authors, which coincides with the general observation that (international) scientific collaboration grew significantly during the pandemic ( Duan and Xia, 2021 ). Further, online learning research during the COVID-19 pandemic is grounded on fewer studies than Educational Research ( Patience et al., 2017 ), which may be explained by the absence of COVID-19-related literature at the time these documents were published. Nevertheless, noting the potential benefits of online learning approaches also when the epidemiological conditions are favorable, this line of research is expected to further develop and be extended in the ensuing years ( Fauzi, 2022 ). The potential benefits refer especially to the development of a blended learning environment, which combines online and traditional learning approaches ( Rasheed et al., 2020 ). The overview of the most relevant documents revealed three topics that were intensively discussed in the academic community, i.e., ICT, pedagogy, and life and work. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance and role of reliable ICT infrastructure for ensuring effective pedagogy in the online environment, as was needed to prevent the spread of the virus and to protect public health. Apart from the devastating health consequences for those directly affected by the virus and the disrupted educational process, the COVID-19 pandemic also dramatically affected students’ social life and work ( Aristovnik et al., 2020a ). The educational community is increasingly interested in finding ways to respond to crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and develop effective pedagogical practices that assure high-quality and efficient education in the online learning environment ( Zhang et al., 2022 ).

The scientific production of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic was geographically uneven. The greatest scientific production in terms of citations and number of documents can be observed in the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, China and India. Besides developed English-speaking countries, emerging Asian economies also seem to have played a crucial role in online learning research. Similar findings also emerged from other bibliometric studies on this topic ( Saqr et al., 2023 ). Moreover, despite conference proceedings being prominent in terms of the relatively high number of documents, the most prominent journals, considering the number of citations, are Journal of Chemical Education, Sustainability, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health and Education Sciences, indicating that online learning research at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic was primarily published in open-access journals, as already observed in other research ( Zhang et al., 2022 ).

The network analysis revealed five research hotspots in online learning research during the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of higher education: (1) ICT and pedagogy, focused on the quality of online learning mechanisms ( Gritsova and Tissen, 2021 ), active learning activities ( Yan et al., 2021 ) and the role of e-learning departments in controlling the quality of academic processes ( Hamdan et al., 2021 ); technology-enhanced education concentrated on opportunities to incorporate technological and curricular innovations ( Shapiro and Reza, 2021 ), the adoption of different virtual experiences such as telehealth and virtual learning ( Kahwash et al., 2021 ), and the utilization of social media to reach higher education students ( Leighton et al., 2021 ); (2) mental health and well-being issues facing higher education students, including depression, anxiety, and stress levels ( Abu Kwaik et al., 2021 ; Keskin, 2021 ; Yaghi, 2022 ); student experience with specific focus on the between interaction and online learning satisfaction ( Bawa'aneh, 2021 ; Bismala and Manurung, 2021 ; She et al., 2021 ) and (3) curriculum and professional development, focused on the ways in which courses were adapted to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the related challenges and strategies ( Chen et al., 2020 ; Gonzalez and Knecht, 2020 ; Rhile, 2020 ).

Further, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the exploration of emergency remote learning approaches such as e-learning, distance learning and virtual learning, which are intended to limit physical contact between teachers and students. These approaches were chiefly supported by several ICT tools, including social media, gamification/simulation, virtual reality, videoconferencing platforms, and telehealth. While computer-based learning, blended learning and m-learning do not necessarily occur in an online learning environment, they may still be suitable for certain fields of study, especially in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period. This implies that the determination of which online learning approach is the most suitable is often guided by the specific requirements of a given field of study ( Fauzi, 2022 ).

Before generalizing these conclusions, it is important to note the limitations of the paper. First, the bibliometric analysis relied on documents indexed in the Scopus database, which might not cover the entire collection of research. Namely, documents that are published in journals indexed in other databases such as Web of Science, Education Research Index, Educational Resources Information Centre, etc. are not included in the analysis. However, to achieve the comparability of bibliometric metrics across documents, the bibliometric metrics are obtained from the single and, in general, broader Scopus database. Given the substantial overlap of documents across different databases of peer-reviewed literature, this limitation might not significantly affect the general observations on global research trends. Nevertheless, to check the robustness of the findings, it is still valuable to consider other bibliometric databases for future research. Second, the bibliometric analysis is conducted the bibliometric is based on a short time period (January 2020 – March 2022), which may also impact the metrics of documents published in closed-access (subscription-based) journals, placing them at a disadvantage compared to documents published in open-access journals. While it is not possible to overcome this limitation at present, conducting a bibliometric study with a longer time span would provide further time-dimensional insights. This would also be beneficial in terms of achieving better comparability between documents published in closed-access and open-access journals. Finally, despite the detailed search queries, some other relevant keywords may have been overlooked in the document search. Finally, the bibliometric method, as a method based on big data analysis, may miss certain highlights from the scientific literature that a systematic literature review would otherwise capture. Therefore it would be beneficial for future bibliometric studies also to incorporate a systematic literature review methodology, as the combined approach can provide a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on online learning in higher education.

The bibliometric study provides some possible avenues for future research. First, in future bibliometric studies, it would be beneficial to conduct in-depth analyses of the relevant contexts that have emerged as highly significant in online learning during the pandemic. These include ICT and innovation, mental health and well-being, online learning and engagement, and curriculum and professional development. Examining these contexts more comprehensively can provide valuable insights into the specific dynamics and trends within each area, contributing to a deeper understanding of the implications of online learning during the pandemic. Second, it would be beneficial to conduct separate bibliometric analyses and comparisons to examine the differences between developed and developing countries. This approach can shed light on the unique research trends, contributions, and challenges faced by each group of countries in the context of online learning during the pandemic. This can provide a more nuanced understanding of the global landscape and identify potential areas for collaboration and knowledge sharing between developed and developing countries. Finally, it would be valuable to investigate the long-term impact of rapid publishing in open-access journals on the recognition and dissemination of scholarly findings in the field of online learning in higher education during the pandemic.

From the practical perspective, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted higher education, but at the same time, it also accelerated the use of online learning tools in the educational process. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has gradually subsided over time, online learning approaches developed during this period continue to hold relevance and value for future education. Therefore, higher education institutions should prioritize leveraging ICT tools and innovative solutions in their educational delivery, which proved effective during the pandemic. Moreover, higher education institutions should also prioritize adapting appropriate online learning approaches and curricula to align with modern realities and the corresponding fields of study. This adaptation is crucial for enhancing student engagement and ensuring that educational programs remain relevant and responsive to the evolving needs of students in various disciplines.

The findings may help not only the scientific community in detecting research gaps in online learning research during the COVID-19 pandemic but also evidence-based policymaking by assisting in identifying appropriate educational practices in emergency circumstances. Specifically, the findings may help higher education policymakers to address the underlying shortcomings of the existing educational framework exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and to design proactive mechanisms to deal effectively with such disruptions, thereby enabling them to create a more resilient and adaptable education system that can successfully navigate unforeseen challenges and ensure the continuity of quality higher education in the future.

Data availability statement

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/supplementary material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors.

Author contributions

AA contributed to the design of the study. DR and LU assisted with the data identification, cleaning, and analysis. DR and KK wrote the manuscript in consultation with AA. All authors contributed to the manuscript’s revision and read and approved the submitted version.

This research and the APC were funded by the Slovenian Research Agency under grant numbers P5-0093 and Z5-4569.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Slovenian Research Agency (research core funding no. P5-0093 and project no. Z5-4569). A preliminary version of the paper was presented at the International Conference on Information, Communication Technologies in Education (ICICTE) in July 2022. The authors are grateful to colleagues who attended the presentation and provided interesting comments and suggestions. Further, they wish to thank the reviewers for their valuable suggestions and comments.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Abu Kwaik, A., Saleh, R., Danadneh, M., and Kateeb, E. (2021). Stress, anxiety and depression among dental students in times of covid-19 lockdown. Int. J. Dentist. Oral Sci. 8, 1560–1564. doi: 10.19070/2377-8075-21000310

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Adedoyin, O. B., and Soykan, E. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic and online learning: the challenges and opportunities. Interact. Learn. Environ. 31, 863–875. doi: 10.1080/10494820.2020.1813180

Almazova, N., Krylova, E., Rubtsova, A., and Odinokaya, M. (2020). Challenges and opportunities for Russian higher education amid COVID-19: teachers’ perspective. Educ. Sci. 10:368. doi: 10.3390/educsci10120368

Aristovnik, A., Keržič, D., Ravšelj, D., Tomaževič, N., and Umek, L. (2020a). Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on life of higher education students: a global perspective. Sustainability 12:8438. doi: 10.3390/su12208438

Aristovnik, A., Ravšelj, D., and Umek, L. (2020b). A bibliometric analysis of COVID-19 across science and social science research landscape. Sustainability 12:9132. doi: 10.3390/su12219132

Baber, H., Fanea-Ivanovici, M., Lee, Y. T., and Tinmaz, H. (2022). A bibliometric analysis of digital literacy research and emerging themes pre-during COVID-19 pandemic. Inform. Learn. Sci. 123, 214–232. doi: 10.1108/ILS-10-2021-0090

Bawa'aneh, M. S. (2021). Distance learning during COVID-19 pandemic in UAE public schools: student satisfaction, attitudes and challenges. Contemp. Educ. Technol. 13:10872. doi: 10.30935/cedtech/10872

Bilal, H., Hysa, E., Akbar, A., Yasmin, F., Rahman, A. u., and Li, S. (2022). Virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: a bibliometric review and future research agenda. Risk Manag. Healthcare Policy 15, 1353–1368. doi: 10.2147/RMHP.S355895

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Bismala, L., and Manurung, Y. H. (2021). Student satisfaction in E-learning along the COVID-19 pandemic with importance performance analysis. Int. J. Eval. Res. Educ. 10, 753–759. doi: 10.11591/ijere.v10i3.21467

Bonsaksen, T., Leung, J., Schoultz, M., Thygesen, H., Price, D., Ruffolo, M., et al. (2021). Cross-National Study of worrying, loneliness, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparison between individuals with and without infection in the family. Healthcare 9:903. doi: 10.3390/healthcare9070903

Bozkurt, A. (2022). A retro perspective on blended/hybrid learning: systematic review, mapping and visualization of the scholarly landscape. J. Interact. Media Educ. 2022, 1–15. doi: 10.5334/jime.751

Brika, S. K. M., Chergui, K., Algamdi, A., Musa, A. A., and Zouaghi, R. (2021). E-learning research trends in higher education in light of COVID-19: a bibliometric analysis. Front. Psychol. 12:762819. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.762819

Campos, E., Daruich, S. D. N., Escamilla, J., and Hosseini, S. (2022). Educational model transition: student evaluation of teaching amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Front. Educ. 7:991654. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2022.991654

Chen, K., Chen, Y., Ling, Y., and Lin, J. (2020). The individual experience of online chemistry teacher education in China: coping with COVID-19 pandemic. J. Chem. Educ. 97, 3265–3270. doi: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00581

Chick, R. C., Clifton, G. T., Peace, K. M., Propper, B. W., Hale, D. F., Alseidi, A. A., et al. (2020). Using technology to maintain the education of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. J. Surg. Educ. 77, 729–732. doi: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2020.03.018

Dedeilia, A., Papapanou, M., Papadopoulos, A. N., Karela, N. R., Androutsou, A., Mitsopoulou, D., et al. (2023). Health worker education during the COVID-19 pandemic: global disruption, responses and lessons for the future—a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum. Resour. Health 21, 13–35. doi: 10.1186/s12960-023-00799-4

Dedeilia, A., Sotiropoulos, M. G., Hanrahan, J. G., Janga, D., Dedeilias, P., and Sideris, M. (2020). Medical and surgical education challenges and innovations in the COVID-19 era: a systematic review. In Vivo 34, 1603–1611. doi: 10.21873/invivo.11950

Djeki, E., Dégila, J., Bondiombouy, C., and Alhassan, M. H. (2022). E-learning bibliometric analysis from 2015 to 2020. J. Comput. Educ. 9, 727–754. doi: 10.1007/s40692-021-00218-4

Duan, D., and Xia, Q. (2021). Evolution of scientific collaboration on COVID-19: a bibliometric analysis. Learn. Publish. 34, 429–441. doi: 10.1002/leap.1382

Dwivedi, Y. K., Hughes, D. L., Coombs, C., Constantiou, I., Duan, Y., Edwards, J. S., et al. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on information management research and practice: transforming education, work and life. Int. J. Inf. Manag. 55:102211. doi: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102211

Elmer, T., Mepham, K., and Stadtfeld, C. (2020). Students under lockdown: comparisons of students' social networks and mental health before and during the COVID-19 crisis in Switzerland. PLoS One 15:e0236337. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236337

Falagas, M. E., Pitsouni, E. I., Malietzis, G. A., and Pappas, G. (2008). Comparison of PubMed, Scopus, web of science, and Google scholar: strengths and weaknesses. FASEB J. 22, 338–342. doi: 10.1096/fj.07-9492LSF

Fauzi, M. A. (2022). E-learning in higher education institutions during COVID-19 pandemic: current and future trends through bibliometric analysis. Heliyon 8:e09433. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09433

Ferri, F., Grifoni, P., and Guzzo, T. (2020). Online learning and emergency remote teaching: opportunities and challenges in emergency situations. Societies 10:86. doi: 10.3390/soc10040086

Fried, E. I., Papanikolaou, F., and Epskamp, S. (2021). Mental health and social contact during the COVID-19 pandemic: an ecological momentary assessment study. Clin. Psychol. Sci. 10, 340–354. doi: 10.1177/21677026211017839

Fuchs, K. (2022). The difference between emergency remote teaching and e-learning. Front. Educ. 7:921332. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2022.921332

Gao, Y., Wong, S. L., Khambari, M. N., and Noordin, N. (2022). A bibliometric analysis of the scientific production of e-learning in higher education (1998-2020). Int. J. Inform. Educ. Technol. 12, 390–399. doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2022.12.5.1632

García Peñalvo, F. J., Corell Almuzara, A., Abella García, V., and Grande de Prado, M. (2020). La evaluación online en la educación superior en tempos’ de la COVID-19. Educ. Knowl. Soc. 21:23086. doi: 10.14201/eks.23086

García-Alberti, M., Suárez, F., Chiyón, I., and Mosquera Feijoo, J. C. (2021). Challenges and experiences of online evaluation in courses of civil engineering during the lockdown learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Educ. Sci. 11:59. doi: 10.3390/educsci11020059

Gavriluţă, C., Dalban, C. M., and Ioan, B. G. (2022). Educational, emotional, and social impact of the emergency state of COVID-19 on Romanian university students. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 19:3990. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19073990

Gonzalez, C., and Knecht, L. D. (2020). Strategies employed in transitioning multi-instructor, multisection introductory general and organic chemistry courses from face-to-face to online learning. J. Chem. Educ. 97, 2871–2877. doi: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00670

Gritsova, O. A., and Tissen, E. V. (2021). Quality assessment of online learning in regional higher education systems. Econ. Regions 17, 929–943. doi: 10.17059/ekon.reg.2021-3-15

Gurcan, F., Dalveren, G. G. M., and Derawi, M. (2022). COVID-19 and E-learning: an exploratory analysis of research topics and interests in E-learning during the pandemic. IEEE Access 10, 123349–123357. doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3224034

Hamdan, R., Ashour, W., and Daher, W. (2021). The role of the e-learning departments in controlling the quality of electronic assessments in Palestinian universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sustainability 13:12021. doi: 10.3390/su132112021

Harzing, A. W., and Van Der Wal, R. (2009). A Google scholar h-index for journals: an alternative metric to measure journal impact in economics and business. J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci. Technol. 60, 41–46. doi: 10.1002/asi.20953

Hodges, C. B., Moore, S., Lockee, B. B., Trust, T., and Bond, M. A. (2020). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. Virginia Tech Online Available online at: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/104648 (Accessed February 15, 2023).

Google Scholar

Hunter, J. D. (2007). Matplotlib: a 2D graphics environment. Comput. Sci. Eng. 9, 90–95. doi: 10.1109/MCSE.2007.55

Iyer, P., Aziz, K., and Ojcius, D. M. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 on dental education in the United States. J. Dent. Educ. 84, 718–722. doi: 10.1002/jdd.12163

James, N., and Thériault, V. (2020). Adult education in times of the COVID-19 pandemic: inequalities, changes, and resilience. Stud. Educ. Adults 52, 129–133. doi: 10.1080/02660830.2020.1811474

Kahwash, B. M., Deshpande, D. R., Guo, C., Panganiban, C. M., Wangberg, H., and Craig, T. J. (2021). Allergy/immunology trainee experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: AAAAI work group report of the fellows-in-training committee. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. Pract. 9, 1–6.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2020.09.036

Kapasia, N., Paul, P., Roy, A., Saha, J., Zaveri, A., Mallick, R., et al. (2020). Impact of lockdown on learning status of undergraduate and postgraduate students during COVID-19 pandemic in West Bengal, India. Child Youth Serv. Rev. 116:105194. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105194

Kartimi, K., Yunita, Y., Addiin, I., and Shidiq, A. S. (2022). A bibliometric analysis on chemistry virtual laboratory. Educación Química 33:194. doi: 10.22201/fq.18708404e.2022.2.80579

Keržič, D., Alex, J. K., Pamela Balbontín Alvarado, R., da Silva Bezerra, D., Cheraghi, M., Dobrowolska, B., et al. (2021). Academic student satisfaction and perceived performance in the e-learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence across ten countries. PLoS One 16:e0258807. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258807

Keržič, D., Umek, L., Tomaževič, N., and Aristovnik, A. (2022). E-learning acceptance of public administration students in Slovenia in comparison with Europe: differences between the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. EGPA 2022 Conference, 6–9 September 2022, Lisbon, Portugal.

Keskin, G. (2021). Self-report measurement of depression, anxiety, and stress caused by covid-19 pandemic in senior undergraduate dental students. Pesquisa Brasileira em Odontopediatria e Clínica Integrada 21:102. doi: 10.1590/pboci.2021.102

Khan, M. A., Nabi, M. K., Khojah, M., and Tahir, M. (2020). Students’ perception towards e-learning during COVID-19 pandemic in India: an empirical study. Sustainability 13:57. doi: 10.3390/su13010057

Küçük-Avci, Ş., Topal, M., and İstanbullu, A. (2022). The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on distance education in higher education: a bibliometric analysis study. Croatian J. Educ. 24, 457–488. doi: 10.15516/cje.v24i2.4534

Leighton, K., Kardong-Edgren, S., Schneidereith, T., and Foisy-Doll, C. (2021). Using social media and snowball sampling as an alternative recruitment strategy for research. Clin. Simul. Nurs. 55, 37–42. doi: 10.1016/j.ecns.2021.03.006

McKinney, W. (2012). Python for data analysis: Data wrangling with pandas, NumPy, and IPython . Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly Media, Inc.

Misiejuk, K., Ness, I. J., Gray, R., and Wasson, B. (2023). Changes in online course designs: before, during, and after the pandemic. Front. Educ. 7:996006. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2022.996006

Mongeon, P., and Paul-Hus, A. (2016). The journal coverage of web of science and Scopus: a comparative analysis. Scientometrics 106, 213–228. doi: 10.1007/s11192-015-1765-5

Müller, A. M., Goh, C., Lim, L. Z., and Gao, X. (2021). COVID-19 emergency elearning and beyond: experiences and perspectives of university educators. Educ. Sci. 11:19. doi: 10.3390/educsci11010019

Murphy, M. P. (2020). COVID-19 and emergency eLearning: consequences of the securitization of higher education for post-pandemic pedagogy. Contemp. Security Policy 41, 492–505. doi: 10.1080/13523260.2020.1761749

Navarro-Espinosa, J. A., Vaquero-Abellán, M., Perea-Moreno, A.-J., Pedrós-Pérez, G., Aparicio-Martínez, P., and Martínez-Jiménez, M. P. (2021). The influence of technology on mental well-being of STEM teachers at university level: COVID-19 as a stressor. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 18:9605. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18189605

Nguyen, J. G., Keuseman, K. J., and Humston, J. J. (2020). Minimize online cheating for online assessments during COVID-19 pandemic. J. Chem. Educ. 97, 3429–3435. doi: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00790

Ochnik, D., Rogowska, A. M., Kuśnierz, C., Jakubiak, M., Wierzbik-Strońska, M., Schütz, A., et al. (2021). Exposure to COVID-19 during the first and the second wave of the pandemic and coronavirus-related PTSD risk among university students from six countries-a repeated cross-sectional study. J. Clin. Med. 10:5564. doi: 10.3390/jcm10235564

Okoro, C., Owojori, O. M., and Umeokafor, N. (2022). The developmental trajectory of a decade of research on mental health and well-being amongst graduate students: a bibliometric analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 19:4929. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19094929

Pandey, K., and Panchal, R. (2020). A study of real world data visualization of COVID-19 dataset using Python. Int. J. Manag. Human. 4, 104–107. doi: 10.35940/ijmh.H0834.044820

Patience, G. S., Patience, C. A., Blais, B., and Bertrand, F. (2017). Citation analysis of scientific categories. Heliyon 3:e00300. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2017.e00300

Perets, E. A., Chabeda, D., Gong, A. Z., Huang, X., Fung, T. S., Ng, K. Y., et al. (2020). Impact of the emergency transition to remote teaching on student engagement in a non-STEM undergraduate chemistry course in the time of COVID-19. J. Chem. Educ. 97, 2439–2447. doi: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00879

Pham, P. T., Lien, D. T. H., Kien, H. C., Chi, N. H., Tinh, P. T., Do, T., et al. (2022). Learning management system in developing countries: a bibliometric analysis between 2005 and 2020. Europ. J. Educ. Res. 11, 1363–1377. doi: 10.12973/eu-jer.11.3.1363

Pokhrel, S., and Chhetri, R. (2021). A literature review on impact of COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning. High. Educ. Future 8, 133–141. doi: 10.1177/234763112098348

Raccanello, D., Balbontín-Alvarado, R., da Silva Bezerra, D., Burro, R., Cheraghi, M., Dobrowolska, B., et al. (2022). Higher education students’ achievement emotions and their antecedents in e-learning amid COVID-19 pandemic: a multi-country survey. Learn. Instr. 80:101629. doi: 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2022.101629

Rapanta, C., Botturi, L., Goodyear, P., Guàrdia, L., and Koole, M. (2020). Online university teaching during and after the COVID-19 crisis: refocusing teacher presence and learning activity. Postdigital Sci. Educ. 2, 923–945. doi: 10.1007/s42438-020-00155-y

Rasheed, R. A., Kamsin, A., and Abdullah, N. A. (2020). Challenges in the online component of blended learning: a systematic review. Comput. Educ. 144:103701. doi: 10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103701

Rasli, A., Tee, M., Ling, L. Y., Cheak, T. Z., and Hui, S. E. (2022). Post COVID-19 strategies for higher education institutions in dealing with unknown and uncertainties. Front. Educ. 7:992063. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2022.992063

Ravšelj, D., Umek, L., Todorovski, L., and Aristovnik, A. (2022). A review of digital era governance research in the first two decades: a bibliometric study. Future Internet 14:126. doi: 10.3390/fi14050126

Rhile, I. J. (2020). Course redesign for college general chemistry during the COVID-19 pandemic. J. Chem. Educ. 97, 2857–2862. doi: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00618

Rogers, G., Szomszor, M., and Adams, J. (2020). Sample size in bibliometric analysis. Scientometrics 125, 777–794. doi: 10.1007/s11192-020-03647-7

Rojas-Sánchez, M. A., Palos-Sánchez, P. R., and Folgado-Fernández, J. A. (2022). Systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis on virtual reality and education. Educ. Inf. Technol. 28, 155–192. doi: 10.1007/s10639-022-11167-5

Saqr, M., Raspopovic Milic, M., Pancheva, K., Jovic, J., Peltekova, E. V., and Conde, M. Á. (2023). A multimethod synthesis of COVID-19 education research: the tightrope between covidization and meaningfulness. Univ. Access Inf. Soc. 1-14, 1–14. doi: 10.1007/s10209-023-00989-w

Schultz, M., Callahan, D. L., and Miltiadous, A. (2020). Development and use of kitchen chemistry home practical activities during unanticipated campus closures. J. Chem. Educ. 97, 2678–2684. doi: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00620

Shapiro, H., and Reza, N. (2021). Cardiovascular medical education during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: challenges, adaptations, and considerations for the future. US Cardiol. 15:25. doi: 10.15420/usc.2020.25

She, L., Ma, L., Jan, A., Sharif Nia, H., and Rahmatpour, P. (2021). Online learning satisfaction during COVID-19 pandemic among Chinese university students: the serial mediation model. Front. Psychol. 12:743936. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.743936

Sobaih, A. E. E., Hasanein, A. M., and Abu Elnasr, A. E. (2020). Responses to COVID-19 in higher education: social media usage for sustaining formal academic communication in developing countries. Sustainability 12:6520. doi: 10.3390/su12166520x

Sundarasen, S., Chinna, K., Kamaludin, K., Nurunnabi, M., Baloch, G. M., Khoshaim, H. B., et al. (2020). Psychological impact of COVID-19 and lockdown among university students in Malaysia: implications and policy recommendations. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 17:6206. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17176206

Tang, K. H. D. (2023). Impacts of COVID-19 on primary, secondary and tertiary education: a comprehensive review and recommendations for educational practices. Educ. Res. Policy Prac. 22, 23–61. doi: 10.1007/s10671-022-09319-y

Tlili, A., Altınay, F., Altınay, Z., Aydın, C. H., Huang, R., and Sharma, R. (2022). Reflections on massive open online courses (Moocs) during the COVID-19 pandemic: a bibliometric mapping analysis. Turk. Online J. Dist. Educ. 23, 1–17. doi: 10.17718/tojde.1137107

Vaicondam, Y., Sikandar, H., Irum, S., Khan, N., and Qureshi, M. I. (2022). Research landscape of digital learning over the past 20 years: a bibliometric and visualisation analysis. Int. J. Online Biomed. Eng. 18, 4–22. doi: 10.3991/ijoe.v18i08.31963

Van der Graaf, L., Dunajeva, J., Siarova, H., and Bankauskaite, R. (2021). Research for CULT committee – Education and youth in post-COVID-19 Europe – Crisis effects and policy recommendations. European Parliament, Policy Department for Structural and Cohesion Policies, Brussels. Available at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=IPOL_STU(2021)690872 (Accessed February 15, 2023).

Van Eck, N., and Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics 84, 523–538. doi: 10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3

Vera-Baceta, M. A., Thelwall, M., and Kousha, K. (2019). Web of science and Scopus language coverage. Scientometrics 121, 1803–1813. doi: 10.1007/s11192-019-03264-z

Waller, R., Hodge, S., Holford, J., Milana, M., and Webb, S. (2020). Lifelong education, social inequality and the COVID-19 health pandemic. Int. J. Lifelong Educ. 39, 243–246. doi: 10.1080/02601370.2020.1790267

Wang, C., Lim, M. K., Zhao, L., Tseng, M. L., Chien, C. F., and Lev, B. (2020). The evolution of omega-the international journal of management science over the past 40 years: a bibliometric overview. Omega 93:102098. doi: 10.1016/j.omega.2019.08.005

Watermeyer, R., Crick, T., Knight, C., and Goodall, J. (2021). COVID-19 and digital disruption in UK universities: afflictions and affordances of emergency online migration. High. Educ. 81, 623–641. doi: 10.1007/s10734-020-00561-y

Williams, N. D., Gallardo-Williams, M. T., Griffith, E. H., and Bretz, S. L. (2021). Investigating meaningful learning in virtual reality organic chemistry laboratories. J. Chem. Educ. 99, 1100–1105. doi: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c00476

Yaghi, A. (2022). Impact of online education on anxiety and stress among undergraduate public affairs students: a longitudinal study during the COVID-19 pandemic. J. Public Affairs Educ. 28, 91–108. doi: 10.1080/15236803.2021.1954469

Yan, Y., Cheng, X., Zhou, C., Yang, X., and Li, Y. Q. (2021). The perceptions of anatomy teachers for different majors during the COVID-19 pandemic: a national Chinese survey. Med. Educ. Online 26:1897267. doi: 10.1080/10872981.2021.1897267

Yan, H., Rahgozar, A., Sethuram, C., Karunananthan, S., Archibald, D., Bradley, L., et al. (2022). Natural language processing to identify digital learning tools in postgraduate family medicine: protocol for a scoping review. JMIR Res. Protocols 11:e34575. doi: 10.2196/34575

Zhang, L., Carter, R. A. Jr., Qian, X., Yang, S., Rujimora, J., and Wen, S. (2022). Academia’s responses to crisis: a bibliometric analysis of literature on online learning in higher education during COVID-19. Br. J. Educ. Technol. 53, 620–646. doi: 10.1111/bjet.13191

Keywords: online learning, e-learning, higher education, bibliometrics, mapping, visualization, VOSviewer, COVID-19

Citation: Aristovnik A, Karampelas K, Umek L and Ravšelj D (2023) Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on online learning in higher education: a bibliometric analysis. Front. Educ . 8:1225834. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2023.1225834

Received: 19 May 2023; Accepted: 14 July 2023; Published: 03 August 2023.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2023 Aristovnik, Karampelas, Umek and Ravšelj. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Aleksander Aristovnik, [email protected] ; Dejan Ravšelj, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

• Open access
• Published: 08 July 2024

Qualitative evaluation of a multidisciplinary master of cancer sciences: impacts on graduates and influencing curricular factors

• Julia Lai-Kwon 1 , 2 , 3 ,
• Robyn Woodward-Kron 2 ,
• David Seignior 4 ,
• Louise Allen 2 ,
• Grant McArthur 1 , 3 , 5 ,
• Michelle Barrett 1 &
• David L Kok 1 , 3 , 5  

BMC Medical Education volume  24 , Article number:  734 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

496 Accesses

Metrics details

Evaluations of continuing professional development programs typically focus on short-term knowledge and skill acquisition. There is a need for more comprehensive program evaluation methods that assess a broader range of impacts and can elicit how and why these outcomes occurred. We conducted a qualitative study to investigate the impacts of a multidisciplinary, online health professional postgraduate degree and to gain insights into the factors that led to these impacts.

Participants were graduates of the University of Melbourne’s Master of Cancer Sciences who could participate in an online interview. Semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted exploring a broad range of impacts, including changes in professional practice and career trajectory since graduation, and how the degree influenced these impacts. Data were analysed inductively.

Fifteen participants (female: 80%, 31–50 years old: 67%) from a range of professions were interviewed. A number of major themes were uncovered. Impacts on career trajectory included expanded career horizons (e.g. increased role diversity and complexity), and increased confidence in their professional identity. Impacts on professional practice included individual improvements in patient care and research, as well as changes in organisational practice. Factors identified as leading to these impacts were: (i) active, interactive and interprofessional learning; (ii) networking, informal mentoring, and role-modelling; and (iii) support at multiple levels.

This study provides preliminary evidence of the positive impact of a Master of Cancer Sciences on graduate career trajectory and professional practice. In addition, the inductive methodology enabled identification of the curricular features (both planned and emergent) that influenced these impacts, facilitating potential transferability of learnings to other teaching programs.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

Continuing professional development (CPD) enables healthcare professionals to maintain, improve and broaden their knowledge, expertise and competence, as well as to develop the personal and professional qualities required in their profession [ 1 ]. Thus, participation in ongoing CPD is required for ongoing practitioner registration in most countries [ 1 , 2 ]. Postgraduate qualifications are regarded as a meaningful form of CPD because they can contribute to career progression and are often linked with pay scales [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. However, healthcare professionals face several challenges in accessing these, including the expense and logistics of travelling to courses requiring in-person attendance, a lack of time, and varying levels of motivation [ 6 , 7 , 8 ]. In response to these issues, there has been a continuing increase in the number of wholly online postgraduate degree offerings for health professionals.

Evaluation is a critical aspect of these programs given the significant resources required to develop them and the individual time and opportunity investment required for learners to undertake them. Such course evaluations have traditionally involved appraisal using the Kirkpatrick–Barr model, which categorises program impacts into four levels: 1- reaction; 2- learning; 3- behavior; and 4- results, with higher levels indicating more meaningful impacts [ 9 , 10 ]. However, quantitative evaluations have difficulty eliciting high-level outcomes, and there have been growing calls for this to be augmented with broader forms of evaluation that can elicit Kirkpatrick-Barr level 3 and 4 outcomes and that can also explain how and why these impacts occurred [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. This knowledge could be used for program quality improvement and would facilitate the transferability of this knowledge to other educational programs.

In light of this, we established an evaluation process for a wholly online Masters degree in Cancer Sciences at our institution. The results of the program’s quantitative evaluation have been previously detailed, with students widely reporting high levels of satisfaction across all areas surveyed [ 14 ]. This research builds on these findings by describing the complementary qualitative evaluation.

Our primary aim was to assess the impact of a Masters degree in cancer science on graduates’ career trajectories and professional practices. The secondary aim was to identify some of the pedagogical processes (both planned and emergent) that led to these outcomes.

We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. A preselected theory was not used to inform the design of the research. Rather, we used a theory-informing inductive approach, which we considered most appropriate given previous issues raised with evaluation in health profession education, specifically, the tendency to focus on predetermined impacts resulting in a neglect of unintended impacts [ 15 ].

This study uses the University of Melbourne/Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) Alliance Master of Cancer Sciences degree as a case example of an innovative, wholly online postgraduate degree for health professionals. The course’s design and theoretical and pedagogical underpinnings have been previously described [ 14 ]. Briefly, the overall design of the curriculum was guided by the seven principles of online learning [ 16 ]. Various pedagogies have also been developed to address the specific needs of cancer professionals, including interprofessionality [ 17 ], cognitive load theory [ 18 ], cognitive theory of multimedia learning [ 19 , 20 , 21 ] and visual information design theory [ 18 ].

Participants and recruitment

Participants were graduates of the Master of Cancer Sciences (2020–2022) program. From September–December 2022, we interviewed 15 participants out of a total of 54 potential graduates (a detailed description of the wider student cohort is described in Lai-Kwon et al. [ 14 ]). Purposive sampling was used to ensure that a range of viewpoints were represented, including ages, genders, and current occupations. Potential participants were approached via email from alumni records by a member of the VCCC education team (separate to the research team).

All participants were recruited via purposive sampling. None of the participants were identified via question 9 of the interview (Supplementary Text 1 ). No additional comments or questions were received in response to question 10 of the interview (Supplementary Text 1 ).

Table  1 outlines the participants’ demographic information. Most participants were female ( n  = 12, 80%) and aged between 31 and 40 or 41–50 years (each n  = 5, 33%). The most common professions at the time of enrolment were pharmacists, medical practitioners, and clinical trial assistants employed by clinical research organisations (each n  = 3, 20%). Ten (67%) participants were > 1 year post graduation from the Masters degree.

Ethics and consent process

All potential graduates were sent a plain language statement explaining the study and clearly describing their participation as voluntary. We then obtained informed consent from graduates who elected to participate in the research study. The data were deidentified and stored only by a standardised numbering system. Participant coding was kept by a single investigator and not available to investigators who were academic faculty of the Masters. In addition, participant codes and consent forms were not co-located to reduce the risk of identifying an individual participant. The data were password protected and stored on a secure university server.

The methodology for the study was approved by the University of Melbourne Office of Research Ethics and Integrity (HREC reference 2022-24798-31436-3). As this study is not a clinical trial, a clinical trial number was not required.

Data collection

Semi-structured interviews were chosen to enable exploration of a range of impacts and to uncover insights into the factors that influenced these impacts. The interview guide was designed to collect baseline demographic data, including age, gender, year of graduation from the Masters degree, occupation prior to enrolment in the Masters degree, and current occupation at the time of the interview, as well as information on how the Masters degree impacted their career trajectory and professional practice (Supplementary Text 1 ). Barr’s Modification of Kirkpatrick’s Typology of Educational Outcomes [ 10 ] was used to inform the development of the interview guide, particularly the inclusion of examples about impact on professional practice, including level 2a (modification of perceptions and attitudes), level 2b (acquisition of knowledge and skills), level 3 (behavioural change), level 4a (change in organisational practice) and level 4b (direct benefits to patients).

The interviews were conducted by JLK or RWK and lasted approximately one hour. The interviews were conducted on Zoom (Zoom, California, United States), and audio and video were recorded. The interviews were automatically transcribed using Otter.AI (Otter.AI, California, United States) within Zoom. Transcripts were then checked for accuracy against audio and visual recordings by JLK and deidentified. Information power was used to determine the sufficiency of the sample [ 22 ]. The interviews were carried out until sufficient information power was reached ( n  = 15), which was determined through consideration of the aim, sample specificity, use of theory, quality of dialogue and analysis strategy.

Data analysis

We used reflexive thematic analysis to analyse the interview data. This type of thematic analysis was chosen because it is a flexible method that allows for a theory-informing, data-driven inductive approach [ 23 , 24 ]. Our analysis was informed by a social constructivist worldview. This worldview sees reality as being socially constructed and influenced by our backgrounds, experiences, and interactions. Acknowledging this, our research involves the co-creation of knowledge through interactions between researchers and participants [ 25 ].

The transcripts were then deidentified, and the first three (20%) transcripts were read line by line by JLK and DS to familiarise themselves with the dataset. JLK and DS coded the transcripts independently using an inductive approach, reflecting on the data itself and their experiences in designing the Masters. This process was iterative, and the findings were discussed and compared regularly. Once the codes agreed, JLK and DS coded the first three transcripts, and any discrepancies were resolved by discussion with the coauthors. The remainder of the transcripts were then coded by JLK. DS also reviewed all codes generated by JLK, and any disagreements were resolved by discussion with the coauthors. Coding was undertaken in NVivo (release 1.7, QSR International, Melbourne, Australia). Codes were initially grouped into the two overarching aims of the study (impact on career trajectory, impact on professional practice). We then undertook a mind-mapping process, following the principles outlined by Buzan and Buzan [ 26 ], whereby we visually mapped quotes with similar content into themes, represented as regions, with proximity indicating similarity of theme and lines drawn to show the interconnecting relationships between themes and subthemes. All the researchers were involved in reviewing the themes and subthemes, and final interpretations were achieved by consensus.

As we developed our interpretations of the themes, we selected the Haji et al. model to help illuminate our findings, particularly how and why impacts are occurring [ 13 ]. The Haji et al. model articulates planned theory (why the program will work), planned processes (how the program should operate) and planned outcomes (did the intended effects occur). In addition, it also considers emergent processes (what other ways did the program operate), planned outcomes (what other effects did the program have), and emergent theory (why are the planned and emergent outcomes happening), as shown in Fig.  1 .

Reflexivity

We acknowledged our experience as course convenors (DK), learning designers (DS) and faculty (JLK) within the Master of Cancer Sciences informed our inquiry. Delivery of the program enabled the team to observe differences between the planned processes and the emergent processes.

This study was designed to be an authentic evaluation of program impacts; hence, efforts were made to ensure its credibility and authenticity. The interviews were performed by two members of the research team from a structured interview template. One of these was an independent researcher with no involvement in the design or delivery of the course, and the other was a member of the course faculty who was not part of the leadership team. The interviews were conducted to the point of data saturation (i.e., no further themes were elicited in interviews that had not been captured already), and the data analysis and coding were performed by two independent investigators.

The primary aim of this study was to assess the impact of the Master of Cancer Science degree on graduates’ career trajectories and professional practices. The secondary aim was to identify some of the pedagogical processes (both planned and emergent) that led to these outcomes. In this section, we list the impacts uncovered and the processes that were identified as contributing to these impacts.

Four themes emerged through our reflective thematic analysis. Two of these aligned with our aim to explore the impact on career trajectory – (i) expanded current and future career horizons and (ii) professional identity and recognition – and two aligned with our aim to explore the impact of professional practice – (iii) improved professional practice and (iv) organisational change.

Expanded current and future career horizons

Participants described how the course had resulted in an expansion of their career horizons, both in current roles and in the roles that they aspired to in the future. This is a Kirkpatrick-Barr level 3 outcome – change in behaviour.

In terms of expanding their current horizons, they described the addition of various education, research, mentoring and leadership roles to their current positions. The Masters also enabled them to apply for new roles and promotions. They perceived the attainment of the qualification as increasing their competitiveness for promotion and enabling them to be promoted more quickly. In some, it also initiated consideration of further study of professional degrees (e.g., medicine), as well as research higher degrees:

“I’ll consider continuing my formal education , a PhD or something along those lines…I think prior to doing the Masters… further studies hadn’t really been on my radar” (P11, male, graduated 2021).

Additionally, through mentee opportunities, students were able to build their research networks, access research projects and begin incorporating research into their work roles. This, along with the practical research skills obtained through the research capstone, enabled them to embark upon research projects following graduation:

“I’ve…helped him [the student’s supervisor] on a systematic review …I’ve got a few opportunities through…making a network with my supervisor” (P5, female, graduated 2021).

Networking opportunities with both fellow students and faculty staff of the Masters course broadened their awareness of potential career pathways:

“It connected me with people who were academic/clinical/research… I think it was a real…opportunity for me to see the careers that people who run the Masters have , the course coordinators , the subject tutors and things , and the cohort that it put me in touch with” (P12, female, graduated 2020).

Similarly, obtaining practical leadership skills, alongside the opportunity to reflect upon their leadership style, enabled the participants to improve and expand their leadership roles:

“ I was able to do the two leadership subjects and that I feel has definitely helped with in that sort of mentoring leadership role , providing feedback” (P2, male, graduated 2021).

Modelling of potential career pathways, alongside increased knowledge and skill levels, inspired participants to seek out oncology-specific opportunities and consider subspecialisation in oncology:

“I’ve been making a conscious effort now to really put my hat in the ring for those [oncology] studies… which are usually given to more senior individuals because I’ve got that knowledge from the Masters” (P8, female, graduated 2022).

Professional identity and recognition

The participants described how the Masters impacted both how they saw themselves and how they were seen by others. From a reflective point of view, the Masters enabled them to feel valued and increased their confidence in themselves and their professional skill set. This is both a Kirkpatrick–Barr level 1 and level 3 outcome – a reaction and a change in behaviour, respectively.

This supported their career development and professional practice:

“I think prior to doing that subject , I really felt like you’re either a clinician or you’re an academic and then there’s not much crossover. But I think actually doing the Masters part time and doing a research project while working clinically , really demonstrated that having a clinician can really help with the research and make it practical , make it the right kind of research that’s actually going to be useful to clinicians” (P5, female, graduated 2021).

Participants reflected on the components of the course that contributed to this. Having a supportive, diverse cohort from a range of backgrounds enabled them to feel valued. As described by P10, this was different from their prior working experience:

“We grow up in a model that’s been quite hierarchical…coming into the Masters and working with quite a diverse group of people…as a nurse , I felt very really valued and an equal” (P10, female, graduated 2020).

The supportive environment was facilitated through learning activities that involved active engagement with peers. This helped to break down professional silos and enhance collaborative, nonhierarchical relationships:

Group work was part of the course and every single subject … conversations just naturally flowed and you learned about…each other” (P12, female, graduated 2020).

From an external perspective, the graduates received recognition from their colleagues and leadership in the form of awards and recommendations to apply for jobs:

“I was actually recognised by one of my line managers in there as a future leader of our research institute. As part of that , they give you a scholarship for you to go on to university and do , you know , a postgraduate certificate in leadership” (P7, female, graduated 2022). “ They came back to me and said “(You should really put your application in for this position”. I don’t think I would have been capable of taking on without what I’ve learned in…the Masters” (P7, female, graduated 2022).

Graduates suggested that this was because formal postgraduate qualifications such as Masters were viewed favourably by employers as a show of commitment to ongoing professional development.

Improved professional practice

The Masters impacted participants’ professional practice, including numerous examples of Kirkpatrick-Barr level 4 outcomes - changes in the care of patients. Some participants provided examples of how their deeper understanding and appreciation of the multidisciplinary team facilitated improved multidisciplinary care:

“ Another lady… she was also seeing another local psychologist… .” “[It was beneficial] just being… aware…and sensitive to the… psychosocial and emotional impact… then also being able to give a good handover or helpful amount of information for the psychologist” (P2, male, graduated 2021).

This also extended to being confident enough to contribute their knowledge as a member of the multidisciplinary team. For example, one graduate provided an example where they shared their knowledge of side effects with other members of the multidisciplinary team to improve the care of an individual patient:

“When we were learning about CAR-T therapy … I did have a patient on the wards having CAR-T and after their initial dose reacted quite badly to it…I think being able to escalate that to medical staff and nursing staff , to kind of let them know that… we were seeing early signs of some neurotoxicity was really useful” (P5, female, graduated 2021).

Graduates ascribed these changes to the multidisciplinary focus of the course, including participation in mock multidisciplinary meetings and their interactions with their fellow students from a range of professional backgrounds.

In addition, graduates described being more patient-centred at work. They felt that they had learned to be more empathic, compassionate and better communicators, and these skills improved their patient care in numerous settings.

Patient care setting: “I think it’s more the communicating and the empathy…so when you see the patients… the things that they’re thinking about is completely different to if you went to see another patient from a different ward ” (P9, female, graduated 2020). Pharmaceutical setting: “I did a little bit of compassionate access stuff with drugs as well…but I think the Masters also reinforced the patient focus because you got to hear about clinically , this is what a patient is going through” (P8, female, graduated 2022). Research Setting: “it had a profound impact on me doing that thesis… I’ve reached out to them about being on our Consumer Advisory Group and reading patient information sheets for us … because they’re just as keen to be involved” (P7, female, graduated 2022).

Towards organisational-level change

Graduates also provided examples of how knowledge and skills gained from the Masters had begun to influence organisational priorities (Kirpatrick-Barr Level 4a – changes in organisational practice), including increased engagement in teletrials and consumer engagement in research:

“My thesis , I actually did that on teletrials and decentralised trials , and now I’m trying to take on subject matter expert roles in those to try and progress that within the business” (P8, female, graduated 2022).

Changes in organisational policies and protocols were also described, such as the adaptation of staff education materials based on knowledge gained from the Masters:

“One of the things that changed from the Masters course was not just the way we have looked at oncology and assessed oncology , but also the processes…just the way that , you know , someone would go through and assess someone” (P2, male, graduated 2021).

Another participant described how lessons learned about multidisciplinary care resulted in a change in the way multidisciplinary meetings were conducted at their centre:

“each week there’s a different person that chairs that meeting”; “I think that’s been something … I learned about doing an assignment in the Masters that we’ve managed to translate into practice” (P5, female, graduated 2021).

Mapping the planned and emergent experiences, processes and outcomes using the Haji model

The participants in this study described a range of program outcomes, some of which were planned (i.e., aligned with the intended learning outcomes of the course), while others were emergent. These are mapped and listed in detail in Fig.  1 .

Alongside the lower-order Kirkpatrick-Barr outcomes of improved knowledge/skill and improved communication/collaboration, we documented improvements in professional practice, the expansion of career horizons, increased professional identity and recognition and examples of organisational-level change.

Planned and emergent experiences, processes and outcomes of the Master of Cancer Sciences

This study assessed the impact of a Master of Cancer Science degree on graduates’ career trajectories and professional practices and aimed to identify some of the pedagogical processes (both planned and emergent) that led to these outcomes. Four themes emerged through our reflective thematic analysis. Two of these aligned with our aim to explore the impact on career trajectory – (i) expanded current and future career horizons and (ii) professional identity and recognition – and two aligned with our aim to explore the impact of professional practice – (iii) improved professional practice and (iv) towards organisational change. These were driven by intentional curriculum design aspects (which included active interprofessional learning, networking and mentoring). In addition, sustained formal and informal support from peers and faculty beyond the duration of the degree was observed. This was unplanned but also a strong facilitator of outcomes. Thus, this study provides important design considerations for future health professional education programs and an example of how qualitative evaluation can provide a more complete view of a program’s outcomes.

A key strength of our research is that the qualitative approach enabled us to elicit impacts across the full range of Kirkpatrick–Barr outcomes, which our previous quantitative evaluation was unable to do [ 14 ]. In particular, it was able to draw out higher level 3 and 4 outcomes describing behaviour change, change in organisational practice, and change in the care of individual patients. Furthermore, we were able to gain insights into how and why the outcomes occur.

We chose to examine our results from the lens of landscapes of practice. While we did use an evaluation model, this was not used from the outset of the evaluation. Rather, it was used to help make sense of the results. We encourage other clinician-led evaluation teams to select an evaluation framework from the outset that allows for articulation of program theory and exploration of how and why outcomes occur and, where possible, engaging education and/or evaluation experts that can help articulate program theory.

Understanding the results through the lens of the Haji et al [ 13 ] model and landscapes of practice theory

To better depict and understand the planned and emergent outcomes identified in our evaluation, we mapped our findings following the Haji model [ 13 ], as shown in Fig.  1 . The Haji et al. model was a particularly apt framework for our findings, as it shows the link between planned theory, planned processes and planned outcomes. In addition, it also considers emergent processes (what other ways did the program operate), planned outcomes (what other effects did the program have), and emergent theory (why are the planned and emergent outcomes occurring).

In our study, professional identity and recognition were an emergent outcome, but nonetheless an important outcome as professional identity is necessary for success [ 27 ]. We ascribe to the view that professional identity development is a social process [ 28 ]. This is notable, as an oft-described disadvantage of online learning is social isolation [ 29 , 30 ]. To mitigate this, this course was intentionally designed to foster engagement and interprofessional interaction. Indeed, when interrogating the data and reflecting on the emergent processes DK, DS and JLK felt that the level of engagement between students and faculty was higher than expected and frequently went beyond formal course activities.

The participants attributed planned and emergent outcomes to several influencing processes, namely, (i) active, interactive and interprofessional learning; (ii) networking, informal mentoring, and role-modelling; and (iii) support at multiple levels (peers, faculty, colleagues, and leaders). Active, interactive and interprofessional learning were key components of the planned theory addressed by the principles of facilitating deep engagement and interaction and feedback. They promote engagement, interaction and sharing of diverse perspectives, which have been shown to enhance learning [ 31 , 32 ]. Similarly, networking, mentoring, and role-modelling were key components of the planned theory addressed by the principles of connection with experts and creation of a learning community. Networking, mentoring, and role-modelling offered the participants a chance to learn from and with others, learning and developing their identities through a social process that has been shown to influence personal and career development [ 33 , 34 ].

From the participants’ accounts, it is clear that both the learning environment of the course and the broader learning environments of their workplaces contributed to the outcomes. Therefore, the third influencing factor, support at multiple levels, was only partially addressed by the planned theory. The creation of a learning community addresses support in the immediate context (that of the online degree) but does not address the learning environment beyond this, with participants describing supportive colleagues and leaders as contributing to their learning and identity development. This finding resonates with Aitken’s research that used activity theory to examine the value and perceived impact of online healthcare postgraduate programmes [ 35 ]. Activity theory is a philosophical framework that tries to understand the entire system in which a phenomenon occurs. Hence, rather than just looking at the subject (in this example, students), the object (the learning outcomes) and its mediating artifacts (the online degree), activity theory also studies the complex interactions between these and the context in which they exist [ 36 ]. Using this framework, Aitken found that “teaching is delivered online, but learning occurs as the students move through the various contexts they inhabit.” The activity theory perspective acknowledges that there are multiple learning environments and that learning involves influencing others in those environments, building confidence, and expanding thinking and networks. However, it does not consider learning, identity and practice as interlinked social processes as the social learning theory that underpins communities and landscapes of practice does [ 28 , 37 ].

Communities of practice is a social learning theory that describes learning as participation [ 28 ]. Landscapes of practice build on the notion of communities of practice, focusing on the fact that “professional occupations…are constituted by a complex landscape of different communities of practice” [ 37 ] and the boundaries between them. Learning occurs through our interactions with this complex landscape, and the boundaries between communities are often an important source of learning. This is because boundaries of communities bring different perspectives together and require the negotiation between communities to determine whether the competence of the other community is relevant. Navigating boundaries can therefore be challenging. A key outcome of learning through the lens of landscapes of practice is knowledgeability – “the complex relationships people establish with respect to a landscape of practice, which make them recognizable as reliable sources of information or legitimate providers of services.” [ 37 ](page 23) The course enabled participants to develop knowledgeability of other professions that can help them navigate boundaries. It also contributed to their knowledgeability by helping them to be seen as a reliable source of information by the community. This is important given the changing roles participants reported as an outcome of the course. While the course supported knowledgeability, participants need continued learning and development to fully navigate boundaries and become members of new communities (e.g., a clinician taking on the role of and becoming a researcher). Therefore, our initial emergent theory adds the interlinked social processes of learning, identity and practice, multiple learning environments and landscapes of practice to the planned theory, as also described in Fig.  1 .

Implications for practice and future research

Our research has multiple implications for practice and future research.

First, considering prior research and landscapes of practice theory allows us to see learners as part of a much larger and complex learning system. Given that learning occurs both online as part of the course and in various communities, future online courses should consider how they can support learning across these environments and navigate boundaries [ 38 ]. Second, participants described seeing other career paths and others juggling multiple types of practice (e.g., research and clinical) as beneficial. Therefore, placing greater emphasis on this, and other health professional courses on ways to achieve this may be useful. Our emergent theory contributes initial insights into how and why outcomes are occurring. Further research, such as realist synthesis or realist evaluation, could use this initial theory to inform their research to gain further insights into how and why outcomes occur.

From a practical course design perspective, the Master of Cancer Sciences was built with a structured framework to intentionally overcome potential barriers to learning for cancer clinicians. Flexible delivery, cognitive load theory and applied learning design are some of the key methods used to overcome these problems [ 14 ]. It was pleasing that this appeared to be effective and resulted in Kirkpatrick-Barr level 3 and 4 outcomes in the cohort. Other educators may consider this same approach when designing (or redesigning) future health professional education curricula.

Limitations

The limitations of this study include that it was a single time point study. Longer follow-up and/or longitudinal research would allow a better understanding of the influencing factors and how they contribute to learning across learners’ landscapes of practice. This research was conducted in a single context, but the description of the context and use of theory help improve the transferability of the results. Additionally, there is some risk of insider bias in this study, as it was conceived and overseen by members of the Masters faculty. However, attempts were made to minimise this, with one of the two project leaders being completely unrelated to the Masters (RWK), who was also one of the two interviewers for the study. Desirability bias was also possible, with respondents potentially voicing opinions that reflected positively on the experience. Similarly, by simply volunteering for the study, there is a potential that this may have subselected a group of students most favourably impacted by the degree.

Answering calls to go beyond outcome evaluation and explore how and why outcomes are occurring, we conducted a qualitative evaluation of a Master of Cancer Sciences degree. We found that both planned outcomes (career development and improved knowledge, skill, collaboration, and practice) and emergent outcomes (professional identity development, recognition, and organisational change) occurred. These were driven by intentional curriculum design aspects (which included active interprofessional learning, networking and mentoring). In addition, sustained formal and informal support from peers and faculty beyond the duration of the degree was observed, which was unplanned but also a strong facilitator of outcomes. These features may be worth considering in the design of future health professional programs.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Australian Healthcare Practitioner Regulation Agency. Continuing Professional Development 2023. https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Registration-Standards/CPD.aspx .

General Medical Council. Continuing Professional Development 2023. https://www.gmc-uk.org/education/standards-guidance-and-curricula/guidance/continuing-professional-development .

Brass LF, Akabas MH. The national MD-PhD program outcomes study: relationships between medical specialty, training duration, research effort, and career paths. JCI Insight. 2019;4:19.

Article   Google Scholar  

Green A, Perry J, Harrison K. The influence of a postgraduate clinical master’s qualification in manual therapy on the careers of physiotherapists in the United Kingdom. Man Therap. 2008;13(2):139–47.

Buddeberg-Fischer B, Stamm M, Buddeberg C. Academic career in medicine: requirements and conditions for successful advancement in Switzerland. BMC Health Serv Res. 2009;9:70.

Kok DL, Dushyanthen S, Peters G, Sapkaroski D, Barrett M, Sim J, et al. Virtual reality and augmented reality in radiation oncology education: a review and expert commentary. Tech Innovations Patient Support Radiation Oncol. 2022;24:25–31.

Hakvoort L, Dikken J, Cramer-Kruit J, Molendijk-van Nieuwenhuyzen K, van der Schaaf M, Schuurmans MJNEiP. Factors that influence continuing professional development over a nursing career: A scoping review. 2022:103481.

Hijazeen RA, Hammad AA, Khzouz JN, Hammad EA, Swaiss ARJPP. A qualitative focus on community pharmacists’ attitudes and barriers toward continuing professional development: implications for professional practice. 2023;21(3):5.

Kirkpatrick D, Kirkpatrick J. Evaluating training programs: the four levels. Berrett-Koehler; 2006.

Barr H, Freeth D, Hammick M, Koppel I, Reeves S. Evaluations of interprofessional education A United Kingdom review for health and social care. 2000.

Hosseini S, Allen L, Khalid F, Li D, Stellrecht E, Howard M, et al. Evaluation of Continuing Professional Development for Physicians - Time for Change: a scoping review. Perspect Med Educ. 2023;12(1):198–207.

Allen LM, Hay M, Palermo C. Evaluation in health professions education-Is measuring outcomes enough? Med Educ. 2022;56(1):127–36.

Haji F, Morin M-P, Parker K. Rethinking programme evaluation in health professions education: beyond ‘did it work?’. Med Educ. 2013;47(4):342–51.

Lai-Kwon J, Dushyanthen S, Seignior D, Barrett M, Buisman-Pijlman F, Buntine A, et al. Designing a wholly online, multidisciplinary master of Cancer sciences degree. BMC Med Educ. 2023;23(1):544.

Allen LM, Palermo C, Armstrong E, Hay M. Categorising the broad impacts of continuing professional development: a scoping review. Med Educ. 2019;53(11):1087–99.

Kennedy G. Seven ways to improve students’ online learning experiences in your subject.: Melbourne Centre for, the Study of Higher Education. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjBtOLJ05D7AhVNS2wGHZQiDKkQFnoECA8QAQ&url=https%3A%2F2Fmelbourne-cshe.unimelb.edu.au%2F__data%2Fassets%2Fpdf_file%2F0011%2F3357164%2Fimproving-online-learning_final.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3kkSvwP6OS3SzsqqxN5oer.

D’Amour D, Oandasan I. Interprofessionality as the field of interprofessional practice and interprofessional education: an emerging concept. J Interprof Care. 2005;19(Suppl 1):8–20.

Young JQ, Van Merrienboer J, Durning S, Ten Cate O. Cognitive load theory: implications for medical education: AMEE Guide 86. Med Teach. 2014;36(5):371–84.

Mayer RE. Multimedia Learning. 2 ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2009.

Book   Google Scholar  

Mayer RE, Moreno R. Nine ways to reduce cognitive load in Multimedia Learning. Educational Psychol. 2003;38(1):43–52.

Mayer RE, Pilegard C. Principles for managing essential Processing in Multimedia Learning: Segmenting, pre-training, and Modality principles. In: Mayer RE, editor. The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning. Cambridge Handbooks in psychology. 2 ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2014. pp. 316–44.

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Malterud K, Siersma VD, Guassora ADJQ. Sample size in qualitative interview studies: guided by information power. 2016;26(13):1753–60.

Braun V, Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. 2006;3(2):77–101.

Braun V, Clarke V. Thematic analysis: a practical guide. SAGE; 2021.

Lincoln YS, Lynham SA, Guba EGJTS. Paradigmatic controversies, contradictions, and emerging confluences, revisited. 2011;4(2):97–128.

Buzan T, Buzan B. The mind map book. Pearson Education; 2006.

Thistlethwaite JE, Roberts C, Kumar K. Becoming interprofessional: professional identity formation in the health professions. In: Cruess RL, Cruess SR, Steinert Y, editors. Teaching Medical Professionalism: supporting the development of a Professional Identity. 2 ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2016. pp. 140–54.

Wenger E. Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity: Cambridge University Press; 1998. p. xv, 318-xv.

Trespalacios J, Snelson C, Lowenthal PR, Uribe-Flórez L, Perkins R. Community and connectedness in online higher education: a scoping review of the literature. Distance Educ. 2021;42(1):5–21.

Caprara L, Caprara C. Effects of virtual learning environments: a scoping review of literature. Educ Inform Technol. 2022;27(3):3683–722.

Kassab SE, El-Sayed W, Hamdy H. Student engagement in undergraduate medical education: a scoping review. Med Educ. 2022;56(7):703–15.

Garrison DR, Arbaugh JB. Researching the community of inquiry framework: review, issues, and future directions. Internet High Educ. 2007;10(3):157–72.

Burgess A, van Diggele C, Mellis C. Mentorship in the health professions: a review. Clin Teach. 2018;15(3):197–202.

Mohtady HA, Könings KD, van Merriënboer JJG. What makes Informal Mentorship in the Medical Realm Effective? Mentoring & tutoring. Partnersh Learn. 2016;24(4):306–17.

Google Scholar  

Aitken G. A Postdigital Exploration of Online Postgraduate Learning in Healthcare professionals: a horizontal conception. Postdigital Sci Educ. 2021;3(1):181–97.

Engeström Y, Miettinen R, Punamäki-Gitai R-L. Perspectives on activity theory: Cambridge University Press; 1999.

Wenger-Trayner E, Fenton-O’Creevy M, Hutchinson S, Kubiak C, Wenger-Trayner B. Learning in Landscapes of Practice: Boundaries, identity, and knowledgeability in practice-based learning2014.

Garrison DR, Anderson T, Archer W. Critical Inquiry in a text-based environment: computer conferencing in Higher Education. Internet High Educ. 1999;2(2):87–105.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The Master of Cancer Sciences was funded through the Victorian Cancer Agency, the Victorian State Government in the VCCC Alliance’s Strategic Research Plan 2017–2020, and the Graduate Online – Melbourne Support and Incentive Funding with the University of Melbourne.

Not applicable.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) Alliance, Melbourne, Australia

Julia Lai-Kwon, Grant McArthur, Michelle Barrett & David L Kok

Department of Medical Education, Melbourne Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

Julia Lai-Kwon, Robyn Woodward-Kron & Louise Allen

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 300 Grattan St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia

Julia Lai-Kwon, Grant McArthur & David L Kok

Melbourne School of Professional and Continuing Education, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

David Seignior

Cancer Science Unit, Department of Clinical Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

Grant McArthur & David L Kok

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

The authors contributed to the manuscript in the following areas: JLK: Conceptualization; Methodology; Data curation; Investigation; Formal analysis; Project administration; Writing - original draft; Writing - review & editing. RWK: Conceptualization; Methodology; Investigation; Supervision; Writing - review & editing; Validation. DS: Methodology; Data curation; Validation; Formal analysis; Writing - review & editing. LA: Methodology; Investigation; Supervision; Visualization; Writing - original draft; Writing - review & editing.GM: Conceptualization; Resources; Writing - review & editing. MB: Conceptualization; Investigation; Resources; Writing - review & editing; Supervision. DLK: Conceptualization; Methodology; Investigation; Supervision; Funding acquisition; Visualization; Project administration; Resources; Writing - review & editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David L Kok .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

Institutional ethics approval was obtained from the University of Melbourne (HREC reference 2022-24798-31436-3). As this study is not a clinical trial, a clinical trial number was not required. Informed consent was obtained from all research subjects to participate in this research study.

Consent for publication

Not applicable - There are no identifiable details in this publication that require consent for publication from the participants.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary Material 1

Rights and permissions.

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ ) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Lai-Kwon, J., Woodward-Kron, R., Seignior, D. et al. Qualitative evaluation of a multidisciplinary master of cancer sciences: impacts on graduates and influencing curricular factors. BMC Med Educ 24 , 734 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05744-0

Download citation

Received : 27 March 2024

Accepted : 03 July 2024

Published : 08 July 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05744-0

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Medical education
• Postgraduate education
• Online education
• Cancer education
• Healthcare professional education
• Continuing professional development
• Interprofessional learning

BMC Medical Education

ISSN: 1472-6920

• Submission enquiries: [email protected]
• General enquiries: [email protected]