Quantitative Study of Upper Year Undergraduate Students at McMaster University

Assessing the Intersection of Remote Learning, Social Experiences and Living Environments

Abstract

The concentration of this quantitative study is on McMaster undergraduate students and their experiences with remote learning and the intersection between home and school life. We focused on four variables to conduct our research, including living environment, remote learning, social relationships, and well-being. The three social psychological theories that guided our research and aided in understanding our findings were social identity theory, role theory, and symbolic interactionism. Our sample size included 35 McMaster students 18 years of age and older, who responded to our 31 survey questions on the McMaster Research Ethics Board approved LimeSurvey. Our findings suggested that participants felt their environment was helpful for success in their studies. We also discovered that remote learning did not positively impact participants’ well-being and that their living environment did impact their well-being. Additionally, our data was inconclusive regarding the success of the McMaster Student Wellness Center for student well-being. Our results indicate that the transition to remote learning was difficult for students as many students responded in agreement to questions or statements that outlined negative experiences. We hope that our research can make the remote learning experience more positive for McMaster undergraduate students.