Education disruption during the 2024 Israel-Lebanon war: Impact upon Lebanese university students

Mohamad Nour Zeineddine, Hussein Sammoury, Sana Jaber, Ali Taher Mansour, Joanna Hammoud and Samer Sakr
Lebanese International University, Lebanon

The education sector in Lebanon was severely disrupted by the 2024 Israeli-Lebanese war, making the situation even worse after the economic collapse, political instability, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Our cross-sectional study examines the war's impact on students in the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences at the Lebanese International University, focusing on academic engagement, study habits, and psychological well-being. The study surveyed a total of 965 students, showing a significant reduction in study time during the war, compared to the period before. A majority of students suffered emotional stress (81.6%, n=787), household distractions (62.7%, n=605), and infrastructure disruptions (50.7% n=489), while less than half reported being affected by family responsibilities and direct conflict disruptions. The resulting academic performance of the students reveals some level of resilience despite all existing challenges. The study highlights the immediate necessity for emergency educational policies responsive to crises, including actions on flexible learning platforms, mental health support, and pre-distribution of study material, to minimise the effects of future conflicts and maintain stability in higher education.
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The questionnaire may be viewed via the links:
1. External: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eL17vaHABspys2LJn9Z3ihtMzKywuuub/view
2. Alternatively, IIER website: http://www.iier.org.au/iier36/zeineddine-appendix.pdf [258 kB]

Authors: Dr Mohamad Nour Zeineddine (corresponding author) is a lecturer in the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences at the Lebanese International University, Lebanon, with over eight years of experience in chemistry education. His research interests span environmental chemistry and science education, with a focus on innovative teaching approaches and learning in challenging contexts. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0486-897X Email: mohamad.zeineddine@liu.edu.lb Dr Hussein Sammoury is a lecturer in the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences at Lebanese International University and Lebanese University. His assigned courses cover topics in general chemistry, organic and inorganic chemistry labs, conventional and controlled polymerisation, surface and colloidal chemistry. His research is in the field of catalysis applied in the petrochemical industry and water treatment. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0892-7317 Email: hussein.sammoury@liu.edu.lb Dr Sana Jaber is a lecturer in immunology in the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences at the Lebanese International University, Lebanon. She has taught many courses, including human biology, general biology, and immunology, as well as laboratory sessions for general biology and microbiology. Her research interests focus mainly on host-pathogen interactions following fungal and viral infections. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6769-177X Email: sana.jaber@liu.edu.lb Dr Ali Taher Mansour is a lecturer in the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences at the Lebanese International University, teaching organic chemistry for over 10 years. His research interests are in chemistry, education, and sports science. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2235-0797 Email: ali.mansour@liu.edu.lb Dr Joanna Hammoud is a lecturer in chemistry in the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences at the Lebanese International University, Lebanon. She has been teaching several chemistry courses and laboratory sessions for over four years. Her research interests focus on the organometallic chemistry and coordination spheres of alkaline earth metals, with several findings published in peer-reviewed journals. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0101-0611 Email: joanna.hammoud@liu.edu.lb Dr Samer Sakr is Chair of the Biological and Chemical Sciences Department, School of Arts and Sciences at Lebanese International University, Lebanon. His research interest focuses on bacteriology, protein folding, oxidative stress, and infectious diseases. He has several publications in peer reviewed journals. He is an associate editor and reviewer in several Scopus and PubMed indexed journals. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2371-2468 Email: samer.sakr@liu.edu.lb Please cite as: Zeineddine, M. N., Sammoury, H., Jaber, S., Mansour. A., Hammoud, J. & Sakr, S. (2026). Education disruption during the 2024 Israel-Lebanon war: Impact upon Lebanese university students. Issues in Educational Research, 36(1), 392-412. http://www.iier.org.au/iier36/zeineddine.pdf