ABSTRACT
Comments on an article by K. J. B. Talidong & C. M. D. Toquero (see record 2020-34396-001). Talidong & Toquero have highlighted the anxiety and coping strategies among faculty members in Philippine's school system during the pandemic and confirmed that the respondents were psychologically disturbed, though with a positive note, that many of the teachers were contended to be able to spend time with their families. Indubitably, in any educational setting, the role of the instructors is of vital importance as it significantly impacts the students' academic performance. Recently, this role has rather been highlighted given the closure of schools, colleges, and universities around the globe due to the strict isolation and lockdown measures for controlling the spread of the COVID-19. In order to avoid disruption in the academic sessions, many institutes faced the same predicament of shifting to online or remote teaching options. Given the time constraint, many teachers had to make hasty, untested, and purely experimental decisions whose implications could only be unfolded as the courses progressed. One could easily imagine the magnitude of discomfort, confusion, anxiety, stress, and fatigue endured by these instructors while shifting to, and delivering their courses remotely. Presently, while the research community is extensively exploring the psychological and related reverberations on the students during the pandemic, fewer than sufficient studies have focused on the issues faced by the faculty in educational institutes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the perceptions and experiences of students regarding the various aspects of online education while studying at the Pakistani Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) and universities that shifted to online modes of instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus of this study was to identify the level of satisfaction of students with the support being provided to them by their institutes and instructors, the use of different modes of communication and assessment methods, and their home study environment. It also explored the positively and negatively influencing factors affecting online education, as perceived by them. An online questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey research design was chosen for conducting this study. Data were collected from 707 respondents belonging to various Pakistani HEIs and universities and analyzed using the SPSS software. The results revealed a considerable dissatisfaction among the study population regarding online education being provided to them during the COVID pandemic. The participants raised concerns over the lack of institutional support and the quality of online instruction. Other issues raised included unsuitable study environments, unavailability of electricity, and connectivity issues. Overall, the majority of the students indicated that they would not like to opt for online classes in the future once the pandemic was over.