The coronavirus has had a profound effect on just about everyone, but one group that has been heavily impacted is students. Could student surveys help to better understand just what they’re going through?.
Create your first student survey, form, or poll now!
When COVID-19 struck, many schools and universities canceled classes completely until the end of the school year or semester. Others made a quick switch to distance learning, having students log on through online video sessions. Of course, school is not just about learning—students’ social experiences have been greatly diminished, too. Now, as the new school year gets underway, students have a new set of questions and concerns. When does school start? Will school start? And if it does, will it be online or in-person? While the answers to these questions are not up to teachers, engaging with students through student surveys is one way that educators can get their opinions on these matters.
How the Coronavirus Impacted Students’ Lives
When it comes to disrupting the lives of students, the coronavirus doesn’t discriminate based on age. All students have been impacted in one way or another. A lot of early conversations revolved around students in primary school (grades K-5) who, more than higher grades, need and crave structure to get the most out of the learning experience. With their short attention spans, could they really learn in a virtual setting?
Of course, another group highly impacted by COVID-19 is the Class of 2020. These students were robbed of their senior year and all of the experiences that come with it; prom, class pictures, graduation ceremonies, etc. Many of these students have since reconsidered their college plans.
According to a survey of students who had planned to go to a four-year college, 1 in 10 said they were likely to change their plans. Some cited their frustration with online learning, while others stated that their (or their parents) financial situation had changed due to the pandemic making college less of a priority.
Why Educators Should Reach out to Students
With the new school year on the horizon, educators can use student surveys to better prepare them for classes when they resume, whether they’ll be held in person or online.
In our blog, How to Use Student Surveys (Even During COVID), we talked about some of the ways educators can have a positive impact on students. Some ideas for students attending school online included:
- Establishing a routine
- Making lessons easily digestible
- Assigning group work
For teachers educating students in-person, ideas included:
- Creating a moderated community discussion board for students
- Keeping students and parents updated through social media
- Holding webinars to allow students to “catch up” if COVID anxiety in the classroom is slowing them down
One suggestion that was made for both groups was to conduct student surveys. So, let’s take a look at student survey questions you might include on a COVID survey for students.
Creating a COVID Student Survey
Student surveys are a fantastic way for educators to reach out to students and get their feedback on the previous school year as well as their thoughts on the upcoming school year. After all, you never know where the next great idea may come from!
You may be wondering: “What are good survey questions for students?” Here are 15 school survey questions educators may consider asking students depending on their experience last school year and plans for the upcoming school year.
15 Questions About COVID to Ask on Student Surveys
- Have you been satisfied with the school’s response to the coronavirus crisis?
- Are you concerned about contracting COVID-19 by attending class?
- Are you concerned about exposing an elderly or immunocompromised family member to the virus by bringing it home from class?
- Do you think that COVID-19 concerns impact your ability to learn/study?
- What could we have done better during the COVID-19 crisis last school year to help you get the most out of your studies?
- Did you feel you had the necessary support and resources you needed to effectively study from home during the coronavirus crisis last school year?
- What additional support and resources could we provide this school year?
- Do you think your peers were engaged during virtual classroom sessions?
- What could be done to improve the virtual classroom experience?
- What was the most challenging aspect of online learning?
- What do you prefer, virtual learning or physically attending class?
- What did you miss most about physically attending class?
- Has distance learning made you less excited for college, more excited, or about the same?
- Do you think the grading scale should be adjusting for students engaging in virtual learning?
- Do you have any ideas on how to better integrate more interactive studies into a virtual learning setting? (e.g., theater, choir, physical education, life skills, etc.)
Your class survey questions will vary depending on the age of the students you’re surveying and what you’re trying to uncover. You may also alter the questions somewhat and consider sending another survey to parents to collect their input as well (check out some of our education survey templates here, which includes a school survey for teachers).
By surveying students and their parents, educators can develop or alter their plans for the school year/semester. If physical classroom sessions are resuming, there will be safety protocols in place (i.e., social distancing or mask requirements) which is something else you may include on a student questionnaire to gain feedback..
Conclusion
Have some student survey questions you need answers to? If you’re like most educators, the answer is probably yes. The school year has been chaotic, to say the least, with some schools remaining online, some attempting in-session classes, and almost all implementing new rules and regulations.
SurveyLegend offers pre-designed, responsive surveys online, making them perfect for creating a COVID survey for students. And, using some of our survey questions to ask students, you can get started with SurveyLegend for free today. Interested in upgrading? Take advantage of our discounted pricing on student surveys for teachers, up to 35% off!
Have some additional survey questions to ask students? Let us know and we’ll update our list!
Create your first student survey, form, or poll now!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Many students are engaging in distance learning to avoid physically going to class.
1 in 10 students said they were likely to change their college plans due to frustration with online learning or a pandemic-related change in their (or their parents) financial situation.
Teachers can help distance learning students by establishing a routine, making lessons easily digestible, assigning online group work, and conducting student surveys to obtain their feedback.
Teachers can create a moderated community discussion board for students to discuss their concerns, hold webinars so students can “catch up” if COVID anxiety is slowing them down, and conduct student surveys to obtain their feedback.
