Secondary School Students’ Perception Towards Online Learning Versus Face-to-Face Learning

Abstract

Background: Online learning classes mushroomed in Nepal after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Online learning has become an alternative mode of delivery even in the secondary level curriculum. Teachers and other stakeholders experienced online learning as a wonderful task, but assessment of online learning from the students' side was not done, as compared to face-to-face learning.

Methods: The assessment of secondary level students' perception on social presence, social interaction, collaborative learning, and satisfaction was planned by selecting 34 schools of Kathmandu valley where 1242 students studying grades 10 to 12 participated in the survey. Simple percentage, mean, and t-test were used to analyse the results. Students rated moderately positive perceptions towards online learning as compared to face-to-face learning. Students perceived significantly higher social presence in face-to-face learning than in online learning.

Results: The results indicate significant differences in social presence (t=-9.482, p<0.001,  social interaction (t=-8.663, p<0.001), collaborative learning(t=-9.18, p<0.001), and satisfaction (t=(-9.96, p<0.01). So, online learning environments supported teacher-student interaction more effectively than peer interaction. Online learning environments still face challenges in promoting engagement and interaction among students. But online learning environments are not able to replicate emotional and social connections as in face-to-face learning. Students expressed moderate satisfaction with online learning experiences.

Conclusion: Many students are able to develop an understanding of diverse viewpoints, stated additional reading, and met some of their learning expectations. Students generally appreciated the accessibility and technical convenience of online learning. Many students also expressed willingness to participate in online classes in the future.

Novelty: This study indroduces that uniquely synthesizes social domains, overcoming the isolation typically found in online environments. The online learning environments should integrate interactive strategies such as discussion, breakout rooms, collaborative projects, and peer-work systems so that the effect on satisfaction, challenging the traditional trade-off between academic and social engagement.