The COVID-19 Period: A Crisis for on-Site Learning or an Opportunity for Optimal Distance Learning? Examination of Student Attitudes

Abstract

This study, which explores student attitudes to online learning, is based on a psychoanalytic theory (Existence-relatedness-growth, ERG) on relatedness and growth, developed by American psychologist Clayton Alderfer. The purpose of the study was to examine whether online learning is merely a short-term temporary solution necessitated by the COVID-19 crisis, or will it enable a transformation of teaching and learning patterns in educational systems in the post-COVID era? What is students’ personal preference regarding online learning after having inadvertently experienced it? What dimension of online teaching was meaningful for them: social presence, instructional-cognitive presence, emotional-personal presence? The research population consisted of 306 students, with a mean age of 15.5. Only 85% of the students who participated in the study had technological resources for online learning at home. About 41% of the students preferred lessons that combine online teaching with frontal teaching in the classroom. In addition, the dimensions of online teaching reported by students as meaningful were, in descending order, social presence (M = 3.54), emotional-personal presence (M = 2.96), and instructional-cognitive presence (M = 2.73). The research findings might have an effect on policy makers in education with regard to maintaining an “innovative pedagogy” aimed at shaping students’ image in order to prepare them for the new post-COVID era. In this period of global crisis, online learning afforded students innovative learning, where students enhanced their awareness of the significance of social presence, which was more meaningful than the dimension of instructional-cognitive presence. The significance of interpersonal interaction in teaching and learning received support, more so than ever before.

“The pandemic of distance learning”: How Arab high school students see online‐learning during Covid‐19

“…In addition to missing relationships and communication with peers, students also reflected the limited connection with teachers and lack of adequate feedback, for example, and as several students pointed out ‐ “…I think because of everything having to be automated that there is no extra chats and advice from teachers…”; “…We usually ask our family members to explain anything we do not understand as teachers are not available to take our questions and when we talk in the online class they shush us…”; “…I think the lack of clear and concise feedback is affecting me because of teachers must adapt to the new system …” It seems that online learning, unless it is done with very small groups, is not the best platform for allowing fluent teacher‐student communication and feedback for highschoolers. This drawback has been previously reported as an important concern for students, (Ben‐Amram & Davidovitch, 2021 ; Kovács Cerović et al, 2021 ; Li et al, 2021 ; Pelikan et al, 2021 ; Yates et al, 2021 ), as well as parents (Abuhammad, 2020 ), negatively affecting students' education.…”

“…Students concerns about the loss of connection with peers and teachers has been reported profusely as the main drawback of emergency online learning and is probably the most important variable having a negative effect on students' education and mental health (Ben‐Amram & Davidovitch, 2021 ; Kovács Cerović et al, 2021 ; Li et al, 2021 ; Loades et al, 2020 ; Pelikan et al, 2021 ; Yates et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Students' relationships with teachers and peers in school settings are basic for student's school engagement, improving student's perceived value on learning (Wang & Eccles, 2012 ). Social isolation, lack of contact and proximity to teachers and peers, lack of collaborative experiences, and difficult communicating with teacher and obtaining teacher's feedback have been found to be major concerns reported by students through several studies (Ben‐Amram & Davidovitch, 2021 ; Kovács Cerović et al, 2021 ; Li et al, 2021 ; Pelikan et al, 2021 ; Yates et al, 2021 ). This loss of connectedness may exacerbate the risk of educational disengagement (Drane et al, 2021 ) since social relatedness is considered to be important for students' intrinsic motivation, and learning engagement (Pelikan et al, 2021 ) as well as for overall well‐being (Loades et al, 2020 ).…”

“…In addition to the above, lack of motivation (Li et al, 2021 ; Niemi & Kousa, 2020 ), poor self‐management (Zuo et al, 2021 ), disengagement due to environmental disturbances during online classes (Bubb & Jones, 2020 ; Kovács Cerović et al, 2021 ; Li et al, 2021 ; Niemi & Kousa, 2020 ; Yan et al, 2021 ), difficulties with concentration (Ben‐Amram & Davidovitch, 2021 ), physiological challenges like eye fatigue and eye strain while using technology (Ge et al, 2021 ; Korzycka et al, 2021 ; Yan et al, 2021 ; Zuo et al, 2021 ) and less number of hours engaging in learning (Huber & Helm, 2020 ) during online learning will all have impacts on students' academic success. Distance learning requires high self‐regulation and intrinsic motivation and may lead to passive procrastination (Pelikan et al, 2021 ).…”

Psycho-Emotional Reaction Of Students To The Distance Learning Format

“…During a pandemic, the question of the need to improve the qualifications of the teaching staff and the adaptation of educational institutions to work online arose sharply (Adnan & Anwar, 2020;AgAhmad, 2020;Crawford et al, 2020;Korepanova & Shuvalova, 2020). Many scientific articles have been written and published highlighting new approaches and problems arising from their implementation, for example, cognitive barriers in secondary school (Mailizar et al, 2020), problems of a socio-economic nature when using distance learning (Ben Amram & Davidovitch, 2021;Zhong, 2020). The question of the need to strengthen methodological support (Reimers & Schleicher, 2020) is touched upon, more and more people are beginning to talk about the need to take into account the influence of psychological factors (Armakolas & Panagiotakopoulos, 2020;Brooks et al, 2020;Dong et al, 2020;Hodges et al, 2020;Misirli, 2020;Parczewska, 2020), about the active adaptation of the educational process to new conditions (Armakolas, 2021;Bozkurt & Sharm, 2020;Chang & Satako, 2020;Kanellopoulos et al, 2020).…”