Current Issues in Comparative Education (CICE) - Volume 24 - Issue 2 - Resilience and Despair: Exploring the Educational Experiences of Graduate Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic to Guide Strategies for Action

Oct 15, 2026

A study explores graduate students’ mental health and educational experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada using an online survey (N=28) with both closed- and open-ended questions. Findings indicate about 60% of participants reported poor-to-moderate mental health, alongside dissatisfaction with online learning and uncertainty about degree progress. Data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively and synthesized through a pillar integration joint display to support pandemic-focused recommendations for action.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Resilience and Despair

Study purpose and research design

Participants’ mental health and education experiences

Context: COVID-19 restrictions and education

Focus: graduate students in comparative and Canadian provinces

Current Issues in Comparative Education (CICE), Volume 24, Issue 2, Special Issue 2022 Resilience and Despair: Exploring the Educational Experiences of Graduate Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic to Guide Strategies for Action Frank O. Ely University of Windsor Fallon R. Mitchell University of Windsor Katherine E. Hirsch University of Windsor Michael Diana University of Windsor Krista J. Munroe-Chandler University of Windsor Paula M. van Wyk University of Windsor Cheri L. McGowan University of Windsor The purpose of the current study was to explore graduate students’mental health and educational experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Graduate students (N = 28) in Canada completed an online survey consisting of both closed- and open-ended questions related to their mental health, degree progress, and access to campus workspace. Data were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative approaches before being synthesized through a pillar integration joint display to merge study findings. Based on self-report data, approximately 60% of participants were experiencing poor-to-moderate mental health at the time of the survey. Participants also expressed dissatisfaction with online learning and felt uncertain about their degree trajectory due to changes and restrictions associated with the pandemic. Based on the participants’ responses, recommendations for assisting graduate students during the pandemic were presented. Highlighted by these recommendations was the importance of accessing workspace on campus and the challenges associated with university mental health resources. Overall, nearly 16 months into the pandemic, participants’mental health was negatively impacted by the restrictions. Although the study findings may not be generalizable to all post-secondary institutions, they could be used to inform university administrators regarding the continued challenges faced by graduate students during the pandemic. Keywords: graduate students, mental health, coronavirus, higher education © 2022, Current Issues in Comparative Education, Teachers College, Columbia University. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Current Issues in Comparative Education, 24(2), 8-30. Resilience and Despair On March 11th, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic (WHO, 2020) . Many countries across the world closed non-essential buildings, restricted gatherings, implemented physical distancing protocols, and ordered shelter-in-place mandates to reduce further spread of the virus (Dodds & Hess, 2020; Maranda & Yakubovich, 2020) . Individuals rapidly shifted from in-person interaction to physically distanced or online methods (Jenei et al., 2020) . Abiding by restrictions presented difficulties in many facets of life (e.g., personal, social, professional) . As the calendar turned to 2021, COVID-19 restrictions and stay-at-home orders continued to present challenges for individuals globally; yet the conversation began to change. Rather than focusing solely on restrictions, the conversation extended to the impact such restrictions were having on various aspects of life, such as education and mental health (Cheng et al., 2020; Elmer et al., 2020) . One population that may have been susceptible to the challenges presented by such restrictions were graduate students. Limited research pertained to graduate students’experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic; the majority was based in China, Switzerland, and the United States with few studies examining graduate students in Canada. Although Canada shared similarities with these countries, findings from other countries may not have been generalizable (Son et al., 2020) . For example, as of June 2021 in the United States, some states had removed many COVID restrictions like shelter-in-place and mask mandates (The New York Times, 2021), while many provinces in Canada remained under stay-at-home orders with masks mandated in all indoor spaces (Governme

FAQs

What was the purpose of the study?

To examine graduate students’ mental health and educational experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and generate recommendations for action.

How were participants recruited and what data were collected?

Graduate students in Canada (N=28) completed an online survey that included both closed- and open-ended questions on mental health, degree progress, and access to campus workspace.

What did participants report about their mental health and learning?

Approximately 60% reported poor-to-moderate mental health. Participants also expressed dissatisfaction with online learning and uncertainty about their degree trajectory due to pandemic-related changes and restrictions.

Oct 15, 2026

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