The perceptions of Brazilian postgraduate students about the impact of COVID-19 on their well-being and academic performance

Abstract

This study aimed at identifying the perceptions of Brazilian postgraduate students from all over the country on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their academic trajectories. Data from 5985 postgraduate students were collected in the end of 2020, through a 37-item questionnaire, including multiple-choice questions, through Google Forms. The questions were divided into blocks with different proposals: personal profile, academic profile, issues related to COVID-19 infection, and issues related to mental health. Our analysis showed that 51.43% were master's degree students; 43.02% were doctorate and 5.55% were specialization students, mostly attending Biological, Health, and Human Sciences post-graduation courses (18.13%, 17.91%, and 17.38%, respectively) of different Brazilian educational institutions, including public (e.g., UFRJ) and private (e.g., PUC) federal universities as well as research institutions (e.g., Fiocruz) from all five regions of Brazil (north, south, southeast, northeast, and center Midwest). Most of them were academically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which also involved psychological aspects such as high levels of anxiety and depression. The results showed readjustments of research projects, and academic activities, which in some particular research fields led to the successful completion through the remote activities. However, efforts are still needed by graduate programs in order to allow greater flexibility in academic activities to fulfill all previous planning and chronograms, in addition to implementing ongoing projects to support students' mental health.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• Pandemic in Brazil
• Postgraduate students
• Academic activities
• Mental health