The effects of unexpected changes to content delivery on student learning outcomes

A psychological contract perspective during the Covid‐19 era

Bibliographic Data

ID21376282
AuthorsMichele W Gazica (0000-0003-3714-2873, Behavioral and Social Sciences Department Embry‐Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott Arizona USA, corresponding author), Grace D Leto (Behavioral and Social Sciences Department Embry‐Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott Arizona USA), Andrea L Irish (0000-0001-5501-2437, Behavioral and Social Sciences Department Embry‐Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott Arizona USA)
Year2022
Volume59
Issue8
Pages1473-1491
Publication date2022-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychology in the Schools (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-3085 • E-ISSN: 1520-6807
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/pits.22685
PMID35572172
OpenAlexW4220821244
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited39

Meta‐analyses suggest that student learning outcomes (SLOs) are comparable across modalities of instruction. None of these studies examined how unmet student expectations (here, unexpected changes in course delivery) might increase perceptions of student–instructor‐university psychological contract breaches (PCBs) and, ultimately, perceived SLOs within and across modalities. The COVID‐19 pandemic provided an opportunity to study these potential relationships because many residential institutions of higher education opted into, or were required to, offer distance and/or blended learning to accommodate COVID‐19 safety mandates. This study sampled undergraduate students ( n = 155) from a university, which, before the pandemic, offered exclusively face‐to‐face classroom instruction. During the Fall 2020 semester, however, this university offered three modalities of instruction: (1) face‐to‐face; (2) blended learning; and (3) distance education. The results of this study suggest that perceived PCBs by instructors and universities negatively influence underling indices of student achievement in terms of motivation, engagement, and learning within and across modalities of instruction. Given this and near universal decrements in student enrollment and retention in institutions of higher education, it is important for universities and instructors to understand, explicitly and transparently negotiate, and meet student expectations to improve student progression to graduation and maintain competitiveness among similar institutions

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Content (measure theory) · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) · Medical education · Pedagogy · Perspective (graphical) · Psychological contract · Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) · Applied Psychology · Clinical Psychology · Medicine · Online and Blended Learning · Psychology · Social Psychology

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