The post-disaster response of a higher education institution in Türkiye: Insights from students and instructors

The earthquake that hit Turkiye on February 6th, 2023 had a profound impact on the higher education system. The Higher Education Council decided to transmit distance education to all universities, whether or not they were affected by the earthquake. This case study o investigates how this decision, taken in the aftermath of the earthquake, affected students and instructors at a higher education institution. To achieve this, semi-structured individual and focus group interviews were conducted. The study revealed several crucial issues regarding communication, institutional support, and the frequent changes in the system. Additionally, the findings identified a variety of challenges, including emotional distress, motivational obstacles, technical issues, accessibility constraints, family-related challenges, and disparities in instructional practices. The insights gained from this case study can provide valuable guidance for faculty, administrators, and policy-makers to make more effective decisions in the event of future earthquakes or similar emergencies.