Date
9-25-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration (PhD)
Chair
Matthew Oswald Ozolnieks
Keywords
COVID-19, College Student Experiences, Virtual Learning, Transition to Virtual Learning and COVID-19, Transitions to Virtual Learning, Learning and Teaching During COVID-19, Phenomenological Study, Phenomenological Research, COVID-19 Pandemic, COVID-19 and College Student Experiences, COVID-19 and College Students in North Carolina
Disciplines
Education | Educational Leadership
Recommended Citation
Davis, Mervin L., "The COVID-19 Pandemic and College Students' Experiences: A Phenomenological Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7493.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7493
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and comprehend the lived experiences of college students at North Carolinian colleges and universities during the interruption and transitions of studies amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This research used qualitative inquiry design and employed Schlossberg’s transition theory to guide the study. Schlossberg’s transition theory correlates with this research and phenomenological exploration because it underscores the varying abilities and incapacities of students to persist through their studies during challenging circumstances. The setting for this research was North Carolinian higher education institutions within Mecklenburg County which boast 17 colleges and universities within a 50-mile radius. From these settings, a sample size of 10 college students was derived. Data was collected via interviews, focus groups, and poems/prose. This qualitative research used phenomenological analysis while observing Moustakas’ technique to illuminate the experiences of participants and strategies of van Manen to resist the researcher’s interpretation of the phenomenon. The themes revealed through data analysis include – the online learning transition, educational support, psychological impact, and post-COVID-19 the path forward. Subthemes were also revealed and include internet and device access, students’ preparedness for online learning, instructor technological aptitude, access to officials & communication from officials, fear of the unknown & anxiety, depression & disappointment, social isolation, return to on-campus learning, and student viewpoints for higher education contingencies for future outbreaks.
