Quality of Education Amid The Lebanese Economic Crisis

Razan Al Baradhi; Hanadi Taher; Maggie Houshaimi

doi:10.31893/multiscience.2025340

Keywords:

economic crisis, Lebanon, educational sector, university students, quality of education

Abstract

The Lebanese crisis has sparked numerous academic inquiries into the psychological, mental, and physical health consequences for Lebanon's students. However, the impact on the quality of education remains underexplored. This study employs a quantitative method and a deductive approach to investigate how the economic crisis has affected educational standards in Lebanon. A survey distributed randomly to Lebanese university students generated 392 responses, which were analyzed using SPSS. The findings support the hypothesis that the economic crisis negatively impacts the quality of education. To address this, educational and administrative frameworks must align essential sustainable skills with market opportunities locally and globally. Further research is needed to explore strategic changes by key educational stakeholders to overcome these challenges and achieve sustainable educational goals.
References
1. Abou Dawood, M., & Mili, R. (2023). The Impact of Economic Turmoil on Lebanese Students’ Access to Education. Retrieved from Global History Dialogues: https://globalhistorydialogues.org/projects/the-impact-of-economic-turmoil-on-lebanese-students-access-to-education/
2. Agheorghiesei, D. T., Anton, S. G., & Airinei, D. (2018). THE IMPACT OF FINANCIAL CRISIS ON THE QUALITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM. AN EXPLORATORY STUDY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE VULNERABILITY PERCEIVED BY THE STUDENTS. Transformations in Business & Economics, 17.
3. Akareem, H. S., & Hossain, S. S. (2016). Determinants of education quality: what makes students’ perception different?. Open review of educational research, 3(1), 52-67.
4. Al Maalouf, N. J., & Al Baradhi, R. The Impact of the Economic Crisis on the Educational Sector in Lebanon in Terms of Student Enrollment, Quality of Education, and Teachers’ Motivation. Migration Letters, 21(4), 1561-1570.
5. Ala’a, B., & Sallam, M. (2023). The current cholera menace amid the war crisis in Syria and the economic crisis in Lebanon: A time for global solidarity. New Microbes and New Infections, 51.
6. Alami, N. H., & Attieh, L. K. (2023). Quality in Online Education in Lebanon During the Pandemic: Challenges, Opportunities, and Lessons Learned. Quality Assurance in Higher Education in the Middle East: Practices and Perspectives, 54, 101-114.
7. Altundemir, M. E. (2012). The impact of the financial crisis on American public universities. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(8), 190-198.
8. Bamigboye, G. O., Ede, A., & Adeyemi, G. (2016). Impact of economic crisis on education: case study of southwest Nigeria. In INTED2016 Proceedings (pp. 2893-2896). IATED.
9. Barakat, B., Holler, J., Prettner, K., & Schuster, J. (2010). The impact of the economic crisis on labour and education in Europe (No. 6/2010). Vienna Institute of Demography Working Papers.
10. Bunce, L., Baird, A., & Jones, S. E. (2017). The student-as-consumer approach in higher education and its effects on academic performance. Studies in Higher Education, 42(11), 1958-1978.
11. Dagher, L., Jamali, I., & Abi Younes, O. (2023). Extreme energy poverty: The aftermath of Lebanon’s economic collapse. Energy Policy, 183, 113783.
12. Derbieh, A. (2023). Crisis on Campus: The Struggle for Survival in Lebanon’s Higher Education Sector. Retrieved from Global History Dialogues: https://globalhistorydialogues.org/projects/crisis-on-campus-the-struggle-for-survival-in-lebanons-higher-education-sector/
13. Dev, S., Abraham, J., Nair, S., & Ashraf, S. (2023). Financial Constraints and Their Impact on University Students of Different Nationalities in the United Arab Emirates. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 14(1), 47-66.
14. Fomba, B. K., Talla, D. N. D. F., & Ningaye, P. (2023). Institutional quality and education quality in developing countries: Effects and transmission channels. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 14(1), 86-115.
15. Heyneman, S. P. (1990). Economic crisis and the quality of education. International Journal of Educational Development, 10(2-3), 115-129.
16. Jevons, C. (2006). Universities: a prime example of branding going wrong. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 15(7), 466-467.
17. Kadi, S. (2023, April 8). In Lebanon’s Economic Crisis, Nearly Every Student Has to Work to Pay Tuition. Retrieved from AL-FANAR MEDIA: https://www.al-fanarmedia.org/2023/04/in-lebanons-economic-crisis-nearly-every-student-has-to-work-to-pay-tuition/
18. Kouroutsidou, M., Raptis, N., & Karampelas, K. (2020). Researching the impact of the economic crisis on student life in Greece. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 19(7), 143-158.
19. Mekdessi, S., El-Hawli, S., & Makdissi, R. (2021). The impact of current crises on Employment-Empirical Study on Food Sector SMEs in North Lebanon. IOSR Journal Of Economics And Finance, 12, 28-47.
20. Mykhailova, Y., & Savina, N. (2023). The Role Of Financial Flows In Crisis Management In The Education Sector. Green, Blue and Digital Economy Journal, 4(3), 52-57.
21. Raad, M., El Rafii, S., Doumani, F., Doumani, N., & el Cheikh, M. (2023). Global overview of early public policies towards the Covid-19 pandemic: Specific case review of Lebanon. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 103995.
22. Sahney, S., Banwet, D. K., & Karunes, S. (2004). Conceptualizing total quality management in higher education. The TQM magazine, 16(2), 145-159.
23. Saunders, Mark, Philip Lewis, and Adrian Thornhill. Research methods for business students. Pearson education, 2009.
24. Sherry, A. A. (2021). The effect of students-as-customers concept on the quality of education at universities. BAU Journal-Creative Sustainable Development, 3(1), 7.
25. Schmäling, B. (2024). Bleak but Not Hopeless: Higher Education in Lebanon in Times of Multiple Crises. International Higher Education, 117. Retrieved from https://ihe.bc.edu/pub/tbb3mqhb
26. Shuayb, I., & Doueiry, S. (2023). Impact of COVID-19 on the education and healthcare services of persons with disabilities in Lebanon. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1111972.
27. Skrbinjek, V., Šušteršič, J., & Lesjak, D. (2018). Political preferences and public funding of tertiary education during the economic crisis. Tertiary Education and Management, 24, 168-186.
28. Soutar, G. N., & Turner, J. P. (2002). Students’ preferences for university: A conjoint analysis. International journal of educational management, 16(1), 40-45.
29. Vázquez, J. L., Aza, C. L., & Lanero, A. (2016). University social responsibility as antecedent of students’ satisfaction. International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, 13, 137-149.
30. Yacoub, L., & Al Maalouf, N. J. (2023). Resilience Amidst Lebanese Crisis: Analyzing Human Resource Practices. Migration Letters, 20(8), 554-572.
31. Youssef, J. (2020). Economic Overview Lebanon. Available at SSRN 3519485.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to cite

Al Baradhi, R., Taher, H., & Houshaimi, M. (2024). Quality of Education Amid The Lebanese Economic Crisis. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, (| Accepted Articles). https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2025340

[1] Abou Dawood, M., & Mili, R. (2023). The Impact of Economic Turmoil on Lebanese Students’ Access to Education. Retrieved from Global History Dialogues: https://globalhistorydialogues.org/projects/the-impact-of-economic-turmoil-on-lebanese-students-access-to-education/

[2] Agheorghiesei, D. T., Anton, S. G., & Airinei, D. (2018). THE IMPACT OF FINANCIAL CRISIS ON THE QUALITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM. AN EXPLORATORY STUDY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE VULNERABILITY PERCEIVED BY THE STUDENTS. Transformations in Business & Economics, 17.

[3] Akareem, H. S., & Hossain, S. S. (2016). Determinants of education quality: what makes students’ perception different?. Open review of educational research, 3(1), 52-67.

[4] Al Maalouf, N. J., & Al Baradhi, R. The Impact of the Economic Crisis on the Educational Sector in Lebanon in Terms of Student Enrollment, Quality of Education, and Teachers’ Motivation. Migration Letters, 21(4), 1561-1570.

[5] Ala’a, B., & Sallam, M. (2023). The current cholera menace amid the war crisis in Syria and the economic crisis in Lebanon: A time for global solidarity. New Microbes and New Infections, 51.

[6] Alami, N. H., & Attieh, L. K. (2023). Quality in Online Education in Lebanon During the Pandemic: Challenges, Opportunities, and Lessons Learned. Quality Assurance in Higher Education in the Middle East: Practices and Perspectives, 54, 101-114.

[7] Altundemir, M. E. (2012). The impact of the financial crisis on American public universities. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(8), 190-198.

[8] Bamigboye, G. O., Ede, A., & Adeyemi, G. (2016). Impact of economic crisis on education: case study of southwest Nigeria. In INTED2016 Proceedings (pp. 2893-2896). IATED.

[9] Barakat, B., Holler, J., Prettner, K., & Schuster, J. (2010). The impact of the economic crisis on labour and education in Europe (No. 6/2010). Vienna Institute of Demography Working Papers.

[10] Bunce, L., Baird, A., & Jones, S. E. (2017). The student-as-consumer approach in higher education and its effects on academic performance. Studies in Higher Education, 42(11), 1958-1978.

[11] Dagher, L., Jamali, I., & Abi Younes, O. (2023). Extreme energy poverty: The aftermath of Lebanon’s economic collapse. Energy Policy, 183, 113783.

[12] Derbieh, A. (2023). Crisis on Campus: The Struggle for Survival in Lebanon’s Higher Education Sector. Retrieved from Global History Dialogues: https://globalhistorydialogues.org/projects/crisis-on-campus-the-struggle-for-survival-in-lebanons-higher-education-sector/

[13] Dev, S., Abraham, J., Nair, S., & Ashraf, S. (2023). Financial Constraints and Their Impact on University Students of Different Nationalities in the United Arab Emirates. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 14(1), 47-66.

[14] Fomba, B. K., Talla, D. N. D. F., & Ningaye, P. (2023). Institutional quality and education quality in developing countries: Effects and transmission channels. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 14(1), 86-115.

[15] Heyneman, S. P. (1990). Economic crisis and the quality of education. International Journal of Educational Development, 10(2-3), 115-129.

[16] Jevons, C. (2006). Universities: a prime example of branding going wrong. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 15(7), 466-467.

[17] Kadi, S. (2023, April 8). In Lebanon’s Economic Crisis, Nearly Every Student Has to Work to Pay Tuition. Retrieved from AL-FANAR MEDIA: https://www.al-fanarmedia.org/2023/04/in-lebanons-economic-crisis-nearly-every-student-has-to-work-to-pay-tuition/

[18] Kouroutsidou, M., Raptis, N., & Karampelas, K. (2020). Researching the impact of the economic crisis on student life in Greece. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 19(7), 143-158.

[19] Mekdessi, S., El-Hawli, S., & Makdissi, R. (2021). The impact of current crises on Employment-Empirical Study on Food Sector SMEs in North Lebanon. IOSR Journal Of Economics And Finance, 12, 28-47.

[20] Mykhailova, Y., & Savina, N. (2023). The Role Of Financial Flows In Crisis Management In The Education Sector. Green, Blue and Digital Economy Journal, 4(3), 52-57.

[21] Raad, M., El Rafii, S., Doumani, F., Doumani, N., & el Cheikh, M. (2023). Global overview of early public policies towards the Covid-19 pandemic: Specific case review of Lebanon. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 103995.

[22] Sahney, S., Banwet, D. K., & Karunes, S. (2004). Conceptualizing total quality management in higher education. The TQM magazine, 16(2), 145-159.

[23] Saunders, Mark, Philip Lewis, and Adrian Thornhill. Research methods for business students. Pearson education, 2009.

[24] Sherry, A. A. (2021). The effect of students-as-customers concept on the quality of education at universities. BAU Journal-Creative Sustainable Development, 3(1), 7.

[25] Schmäling, B. (2024). Bleak but Not Hopeless: Higher Education in Lebanon in Times of Multiple Crises. International Higher Education, 117. Retrieved from https://ihe.bc.edu/pub/tbb3mqhb

[26] Shuayb, I., & Doueiry, S. (2023). Impact of COVID-19 on the education and healthcare services of persons with disabilities in Lebanon. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1111972.

[27] Skrbinjek, V., Šušteršič, J., & Lesjak, D. (2018). Political preferences and public funding of tertiary education during the economic crisis. Tertiary Education and Management, 24, 168-186.

[28] Soutar, G. N., & Turner, J. P. (2002). Students’ preferences for university: A conjoint analysis. International journal of educational management, 16(1), 40-45.

[29] Vázquez, J. L., Aza, C. L., & Lanero, A. (2016). University social responsibility as antecedent of students’ satisfaction. International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, 13, 137-149.

[30] Yacoub, L., & Al Maalouf, N. J. (2023). Resilience Amidst Lebanese Crisis: Analyzing Human Resource Practices. Migration Letters, 20(8), 554-572.

[31] Youssef, J. (2020). Economic Overview Lebanon. Available at SSRN 3519485.

Abstract

References

How to cite