The impact of Covid-19 on education quality and learning efficiency in universities: Evidence from Armenia

Gayane Tovmasyan, Davit Hakhverdyan, Tatul Mkrtchyan and Arsen Petrosyan
Armenian State University of Economics, Armenia

The aim of the article is to report on how the Covid-19 pandemic influenced education quality and learning efficiency in universities in the Republic of Armenia. A survey was administered to 783 students and 169 academic staff members at one of the universities in Armenia. Results indicate that both students (73%) and academic staff (54%) preferred offline (classroom) learning. The level of satisfaction with the effectiveness of online learning among academic staff was higher (65%) then among students (54%). The survey revealed some positive sides of online learning, connected with being able to record lessons; time flexibility; savings of time and money on transportation; and computer skills development. However, online learning has many negative sides, including being more tedious and stressful; lacking face-to-face communication and socialisation; a lack of control; leading to a competitive environment among students; difficulty in using interactive methods; and technical issues can occur frequently. The findings may be useful for universities in small, developing countries seeking to improve their online learning and education quality.
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Authors: Gayane Tovmasyan (corresponding author) holds a PhD in economics and is an Associate Professor and Senior Researcher at the AMBERD Research Center, Armenian State University of Economics. She is also a lecturer at the Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia. Her research interests are in management, economics, education and tourism. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4131-6322 Email: tovmasyangayane@yahoo.com Davit Hakhverdyan is a Doctor of Sciences (Economics) and Professor. Currently he is the Director at the AMBERD Research Center, Armenian State University of Economics. His research interests are in economics, education and international relations. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3224-2461 Email: dhakhverdyan@yahoo.com Tatul Mkrtchyan is a Doctor of Sciences (Economics) and Associate Professor. Currently he is the Vice-Rector for Science, Armenian State University of Economics. His research interests are economics, education, macroeconomics, fiscal policy and economic security. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2057-8590 Email: tatulmkrtchyan@yahoo.com Arsen Petrosyan holds a PhD in economics and is an Associate Professor and Vice-Dean in the Department of Regulation of Economy and International Economic Relations, Armenian State University of Economics. His research interests are in economics, education, and monetary policy. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9588-1140 Email: arsen.petrosyan.asue@gmail.com Please cite as: Tovmasyan, G., Hakhverdyan, D., Mkrtchyan, T. & Petrosyan, A. (2022). The impact of Covid-19 on education quality and learning efficiency in universities: Evidence from Armenia. Issues in Educational Research, 32(4), 1623-1642. http://www.iier.org.au/iier32/tovmasyan.pdf