Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

Date of Award

5-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

First Advisor

Jeff Aupperle

Second Advisor

Kelly Yordy

Third Advisor

Scott Gaier

Abstract

The 2020 pandemic and the stay-at-home-orders shifted the college experience for students and required students to complete their work off-campus. This research uses a convergent mixed methods design to examine how loneliness, motivation, and academic productivity interacted in the lives of students during the pandemic. This study explores the implications of the loneliness students experienced and the patterns or shifts in behavior that brought upon either success or struggle. The study shows that students were relatively lonely during this time, yet had varying measures of motivation, leading to a low positive correlation between loneliness and lack of motivation. Additionally, significant factors for academic success during the pandemic were the environment students found themselves in, the relational support received, grades and GPA, and students’ routine and schedule. These results indicate that higher educational professionals should consider how to support students in online or isolated courses of study.

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