Effect of Crisis-Induced Online Shift on Student Academic Preferences: Insights for Education Institutions to Develop Equitable and Sustainable Learning Models

It has been five years since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2019, forcing universities to hastily adopt online teaching. This study focuses on two under-researched topics: whether the shift online may change universities’ model to not require physical attendance and how students’ socioeconomic status impacts their preferences around online versus in-person learning. The research hypotheses suggest that undergoing an online teaching experience positively influences preferences for online teaching, which in turn impacts the desire for institutional changes toward an online environment. Based on 1854 questionnaires completed at several academic institutions, we employed a mixed methods design. We performed Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) followed by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test the models’ goodness of fit and presented the Online Teaching Preference and Socioeconomic Effect (OTPSE) model. The findings show that students who felt their teaching improved through online classes preferred this format and chose universities without mandatory on-campus classes. Additionally, students from higher/middle socioeconomic backgrounds exhibited a greater preference for online learning than those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Overall, the results suggest that higher education leaders need thorough discussions on the topic. These findings may be valuable for education managers and policymakers when considering the implementation of sustainable education strategies, including the integration of online teaching methods. By understanding students’ preferences and the factors that influence their choices, education managers can develop effective strategies to promote sustainable development in education systems.