Educational Alternatives, Volume 20, 2022

Abstract: Higher education has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the transition to online learning was initially seen as a success, subsequently this form of education and the ongoing ambiguities regarding the conduct of classes have been generating many critical opinions from both teachers and students. This study is based on a survey among 194 university professors from twenty higher education institutions from all statistical regions in Bulgaria about their perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 on the higher education system in the country, including in terms of their teaching and research activities. The respondents’ answers reveal generally an unwillingness of the teaching staff with the online form of education, especially when it comes to quality. Based on the survey results, we claim that whereas the pandemic situation has created new opportunities for the development of the higher education system, this sector should not be narrowed to simply another form of business.