Abstract
Purpose This paper aims to investigate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students in Malaysian universities as well as its effect on their learning. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a quantitative design, as the data were collected through a survey. The participants were 219 students, divided as follows: 102 local students and 117 international students in Malaysian universities. Findings The findings showed no significant difference in terms of the psychological impact of COVID-19 among students according to the variables, nationality (local and international), gender and level of study. The descriptive analysis showed that the outbreak of COVID-19 made the students anxious, worried and restless. Besides, the outbreak of COVID-19 made the students unable to focus on their study, feel anxious about studying, have less confidence on their leaning and commit more mistakes than normal days. The psychological stress made online learning during the isolation period less effective and less helpful for students, which made them more worried about their academic achievement and future study plans. Originality/value COVID-19 is a current issue, and the psychological effect of COVID-19 on local and international students and their learning has not been covered in previous literature.