The Agential Causes of Business Management Students in the Implementation of the Full Virtual Teaching

Abstract

Objective: This study investigates the agential causes influencing undergraduate business management students in their handling of change. The objectives are: (1) To investigate emotional reactions experienced by students since the launch of full virtual teaching as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. (2) To investigate the students’ concerns in their lived experiences. (3) To identify commonalities and differences in students’ experiences during the implementation of full virtual teaching induced by COVID-19 in the socio-cultural contexts of China, the UK, and Ukraine. Methods: This research employed an embedded multiple-case design, following the logic of literal and theoretical replication. One-to-one interviews were conducted, involving a total of 61 business management students. All scripts were analyzed using framework analysis and summative content analysis. Results: The study found that all sampled students have experienced a wide range of emotions as emerged from their reflexive accounts of their lived experiences associated with full virtual teaching as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A discernible trajectory of emotional changes was observed. The students’ primary concerns evolved as situations progressed, with the desire to return to campus being pronounced at the beginning of the change and intensifying over time. Additionally, the study identified differences in emotional reactions and considerations of personal development between Chinese students and their counterparts from other socio-cultural backgrounds. Conclusion: Emotions, reflexivity, absence, and absenting are influential factors shaping student experiences.