Addressing challenges in the higher education system during a prolonged war: the case of Ukraine

This study investigates the resilience of higher education in Ukraine during the prolonged war by identifying key factors that influence the satisfaction of higher and vocational education teachers with the educational environment, which is an important condition for maintaining the quality of teaching. The analysis is based on 969 questionnaires filled out by teachers of higher education and vocational education institutions. A multiple regression model was used to identify the strongest predictors of satisfaction, including adaptation to distance learning, institutional support and student engagement. The model explains 96.45% of the variance in faculty satisfaction. The most significant positive predictors are institutional response to wartime conditions and student attendance. Conversely, insufficient logistical support and perceived deterioration in student performance had a negative impact on satisfaction. Age differences also affected teachers’ perceptions. Despite the high explanatory power of the model, further research is needed to include additional contextual variables and to test the results in different regions and at different educational levels. The findings of this study offer evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and education administrators on how to prioritise interventions and allocate scarce resources to support education quality during a prolonged war. This study presents one of the first empirical models to quantify the factors influencing faculty satisfaction in a war-affected higher education system. It fills a significant gap in the literature by highlighting faculty perspectives as indicators of institutional resilience and continuity of learning during crisis situations.