Online or Blended Learning: the COVID-19 Pandemic and First-Year Medical Students’ Academic Motivation

The study aimed to investigate the influence of psychological well-being and different study format on the academic motivation of 1st-year medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Repeated cross-sectional study carried out in November 2020 (time 1) and March 2021 (time 2). During time 1 (N = 273), all students studied online. In time 2 (N = 159), both students who learned online only (N = 86) and students who were taking (N = 33) or passed offline classes (N = 40) were trained. The mental state of the students was stable overtime of observation. The effect of the level of psychological destruction and quality of life affecting by the COVID-19 pandemic on academic motivation was minimal. The level of academic motivation was higher in time 2; this was especially noticeable among students who underwent blended learning. The mediating role of satisfaction with academic life and college belongingness in the relationship between the learning format and motivation was found. Blended type of education during a pandemic is more favorable for students in terms of their motivation to study. Further epidemiological studies are needed to assess the safety of blended learning. However, we would like to emphasize that no cases of COVID-19 in the blended learning format have been reported.