Students’ experiences with remote learning during the COVID-19 school closure: implications for mathematics education

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of a descriptive survey research that explored secondary school students' experiences with mathematics remote learning during the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) school closure. The study involved 367 students of ages 13 to 21 selected from six secondary schools in Kitwe district of Zambia using the cluster random sampling method. Using a mixed-methods research approach, quantitative and qualitative data were merged to provide a comprehensive analysis of the main findings in the context of the existing literature, the government's response to COVID-19 school closure, and the challenges associated with remote learning during that time. Research findings show that more than 56% of the respondents did not have sufficient access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), electricity, and internet services. Most of these respondents also held a belief that mathematics is a subject that is best learned with face-to-face interactions between the teacher and students, and among students. These results suggest a need for the education systems in Zambia and other similar contexts to put up infrastructure that supports the blended and online learning models during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students' Perceptions of Learning Using Powtoon Based on Gender in SMP/MTS

“…animation media in learning mathematics, which is very beneficial for male and female students [20]. Using animation media and powton male students become easier to understand the material being taught, compared to only using blackboard media.…”

Data on students’ learning experiences in mathematics during the COVID-19 school closure

“…Both closed-ended and open-ended questions were included in the questionnaire which was self-administered. Data source location City/Town/Region: Kitwe, Copperbelt Province Country: Zambia Data accessibility The data described here are openly available in the supplementary files attached to this paper Related research article A. Mukuka, O. Shumba, H.M. Mulenga, Students’ Experiences with Remote Learning during the COVID-19 School Closure: Implications for Mathematics Education, Heliyon [1] . 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07523 …”

The academic impact of online mathematics learning during COVID-19 for junior high school students

“…Several research results showed that online learning positively impacted students' motivation and learning outcomes (Hasanah et al, 2020;Khurriyati et al, 2021;Mandailina et al, 2021;Safrawita, 2021;Wasiah, 2021;Yuliana, 2021). Meanwhile, several other research results showed the opposite result; namely, online learning had a negative impact on student motivation and learning outcomes (Basa & Hudaidah, 2021;Fadilla et al, 2021;Mukuka et al, 2021;Noori, 2021;Sukma & Priatna, 2021;Utami & Cahyono, 2020;Wasiah, 2021;Yohannes et al, 2021;Yunitasari & Hanifah, 2020).…”

“…The COVID-19 pandemic is believed to have a massive impact on education. It led many studies being conducted in various countries to look at the impact of COVID-19 on learning, particularly related to online learning (Adnan, 2020;Al-Mawee et al, 2021;Chaturvedi et al, 2021;Chirinda et al, 2021;Mengistie, 2021;Mukuka et al, 2021;Noori, 2021;Uegatani et al, 2021;Upoalkpajor & Upoalkpajor, 2020;Yilmaz & Kostur, 2021). Research on the academic impact of online learning during COVID-19 has been carried out by Alomyan (2021) and Baltà-Salvador et al (2021).…”