Purpose: This study aims to discuss the impact of the physical environment on the quality of distance education from the viewpoint of a number of teaching staff in Jordanian universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 308 lecturers were selected using a snowball sampling method from different social media websites. The researcher used a descriptive analysis method by conducting social surveys. Findings: The results reveal that there is a negative impact of the physical environment on the quality of distance education from the perspective of the teaching staff in Jordanian universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results also show that there are statistically significant differences between males and females in terms of the quality of distance education in favor of males. In addition, there are no statistically significant differences in the quality of distance education based on the place from which the lecture is given and the faculty type. Practical implications: The study recommends improving teaching staff's performance in the teaching process, boosting their comfort level and reducing stress and anxiety which may be caused by the surrounding physical environment during distance education. Originality/value: The topic of the study is of great significance to quality assurance in education, i.e. online learning and teaching.