Mediating Effects of Perceived Support, Empathy, and Constant Contact with Faculty on Academic Performance During Transition to Online University Studies: The Case of Uzbekistan

The transitionTransition to online educationOnline education, which happened due to the Covid-19COVID-19 pandemicPandemic, demonstrated several problems that exist in many countries’ university educationUniversity education systems. One of these countries was Uzbekistan, where many universities needed to prepare for such rapid changes. It took weeks, if not months, for academic staff, students, and administration to adjust to the new conditions. The reverse transitionTransition to offline was also challenging for many participants in university educational processes. By using social network analysis methods, the following research permits to understand better the changesChange online/offline transition created in relationships between faculty and students in higher educational institutionsEducational institutions in Uzbekistan. Moreover, the application of surveys and interviews to collect critical incidents assists in the evaluation of the impacts of shifts in the quality of relations between lecturers and studentsStudents during and after online studies on students’ academic performance. Such an approach creates a solid base for developing new teaching strategiesStrategies in the university context by identifying positive practices. Perceived support, empathyEmpathy, and constant contact with lecturers served as mediators in the processChange process of adjustment to online classes.