UNDERSTANDING THE PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 TOWARDS ONLINE LEARNING AT PRIMARY
EDUCATION LEVEL: A CASE STUDY IN JORDAN
Mohannad Haddad1 Shafiz Afendi Mohd Yusof2
1Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, University of Wllongong in Dubai (UOWD) & VP Business Process Management, ALDAR, UAE (E-mail: [email protected])
2Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD), UAE (E-mail:
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Abstract: The epidemic of COVID 19 has had an impact on schooling all over the world. The shift from traditional education to e - learning demonstrates that existing teaching methods must be improved to ensure students' understanding. One thing to consider is how to attain learning objectives, especially when there is a lack of instructional internet material prepared in advance for learning activities.
Students, parents, instructors, and schools who lack the skills to implement innovative learning approaches have been impacted. This circumstance forces us to reconsider how we will learn in the future, and proper planning is required to save the students and the education. Students, teachers, parents, school administration, and ministries need to be aware that they must work together to get through this difficult time. The shift from face-to-face to online learning highlights the need for teachers to develop their capacity to come up with more innovative ideas and new teaching methods that focus on new technologies. To address the flaws, this study aims to: a) better understand instructors', parents', and school administrators' perspectives of the effectiveness of distance learning; and b) develop measures to mitigate the negative effects of online learning. This study's contribution highlights the importance of new teaching techniques and methods for providing a better teaching experience for students in an interactive environment, emphasizing the need for new innovative methods to connect the social interaction gap between students and teachers, as well as between students. Furthermore, the best tactics for adapting to the new manner of teaching were emphasized, and the assessment and controls that may be applied to measure student knowledge and required support were discussed.
Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of parents' involvement in online learning in terms of supporting their children emotionally and creating a positive learning environment.
Keywords: Education, Online Learning, COVID19, Primary Level, Jordan
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1. Introduction
The COVID 19 epidemic has had a global impact on schooling. The move from traditional education to distant learning at home demonstrates the need for traditional teaching methods to be improved in order to ensure that students, particularly those at premium schools, grasp what is being provided. One thing to consider is how to attain learning objectives, especially when there is a lack of educational internet material prepared in advance for learning activities (Arif, 2020) Students, parents, instructors, and schools who lack the skills to implement innovative learning approaches have been impacted.
Because of Covid-19 epidemic, about 1.5 billion students worldwide are unable to study on April 17, 2020 (UNESCO, 2020). More than a billion students are predicted to be unable to receive an education from their schools (Mondol, 2020). In Jordan, all schools, colleges, and
learning centers were temporarily stopped until the situation has improved. However, the administration was able to arrange the presentation of lessons on television and through internet portals to assist students in continuing their education. On the other hand, telecommunication organizations improved internet speed and decrease the cost of internet registration to make it easier for students to use online educational portals without interruption.
The scope of implementing online education during this epidemic has never been seen before (Czerniewicz, 2020). The circumstance forces us to reconsider how we will study in the future, and solid planning is required to protect education and students. Students, teachers, parents, school administration, and ministries all need to be aware that they must work together to get through this difficult time. (Banna, Lin, Stewart, & Fialkowski, 2015; Bannan, Lin, Stewart, & Fialkowski, 2015). The change from face-to-face to online learning highlights the need for teachers to develop their capacity to come up with more innovative ideas and new teaching methods that take advantage of new technologies (Benitez & Ana, 2020).
The goals of this research are to: a) learn about teachers', parents', and school administrators' perceptions of the effectiveness of distance learning, b) develop strategies to minimize the negative effects of online learning, and c) learn about parents' roles in supporting and contributing to the effectiveness of online learning.
2. Literature Review
Some of the policies that have been linked to the governments of different countries to break the chain of distribution of COVID-19 have to use social distancing at the stages of society, involved for some of the learning activities should have to continue, (Putri R. S., 2020).
Students and teachers alike have been praising the benefits of online learning. The study's main goal is to explain the impact of pandemic on learning the application at the primary school level, which has occurred in many places. In spite of this, it should be noted that the study has been expanded on new studies that will analyze the impact of online learning on primary school students (Putri & Setyowati, 2020), and this has been achieved by finishing and utilizing the present rate of study. In the research, it was also discovered that the demand for online learning has increased, as evidenced by the fact that online enrollment growth has been ten times faster than those of general higher education enrollment growth. Despite this, the increased demand from students for online programs has resulted in just 30% of academic leaders realizing that their faculty fully accepts the value.
COVID-19 in Jordan
Jordan is in the Eastern Mediterranean region, with a population of around 10.6 million people and a total area of 89,342 square kilometers (Jordan, 2020) Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territory all surround Jordan (Jordan T. E., 2020). The governments of Jordan have been following the World Health Organization's guidelines since the beginning of COVID-19. Some preventive measures have been taken at the regional and national levels in Jordan to minimize the virus's spread. The Arabic content for the COVID-19 website was provided by the Ministry of Health and Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship.
This goal of this website is to spread statistics, information, recommendations, and knowledge to the general audience (Health, 2020).
Because Facebook is Jordanians' most popular social networking site, the Jordanian government collaborated with Facebook to spread COVID-19 awareness (Health, 2020).
Because of the growth of COVID-19 cases around the world, the government has begun to enforce strict regulations on education, travel, job in many fields, as well as religious and social activities (Jordan P. M., 2020).
Primary Education in Jordan
Jordan's education system consists of two years of pre-school, ten years of basic education, and two years of secondary academic or vocational school. Secondary education, as it is known elsewhere, is included in the primary level. Jordan's educational system is divided into three categories: The first category includes two years of pre-school education and the first three years of schooling, the second category includes seven years of basic education, and the third category includes two years of secondary academic or vocational schooling. Intermediate education was the name given to the primary school in other places. Scholars have the option of attending private or public schools.
Basic and mandatory education is provided from the first to the tenth grade. It is required for all students until they reach the age of sixteen. The Ministry of Education distributes study books. M ore than half of Jordanians are in the youth age. Around 42.2 percent of Jordanians are 14 years old or younger, while 31.4 percent are between the ages of 15 and 29, with about a third of Jordanians enrolled in school. In 2007/2008, 95.7 percent of students were enrolled in primary school, which is higher than the regional average of 93 percent. In Jordan, men and women have equal access to basic services; the ratio of gender parity to the total number of students enrolled in primary school is 0.98, which is higher than in Arab countries. UNICEF (UNICEF, 2014).
Jordan is one of the Arab countries with low primary school enrollment rates in both urban and rural areas (Jordan G. o., 2019). This is because, more than any other educational level, basic education is financially supported for the benefit of poor people (Education, 2009).
In Jordan, there are two sorts of schools: public and private. In Amman, the capital of Jordan, almost 69 percent of students are enrolled in government schools (Jordan M. o., 2020). The table below displays the number of students enrolled in various types of Jordanian schools:
Table 1: Number of students enrolled in different categories of schools in Jordan
School Authority Elementary Level Preparatory Level Secondary Level
UNRWA School 86,931 54,283 0
Government School 38,180 25,938 2,943
Private School 2,616 1,347 18,488
Total 127,727 81,558 21,431 230,716
3. Methodology
By boosting the accuracy of the data during data analysis, the qualitative research strategy was employed in this study to acquire a comprehensive and complete grasp of the research problem (Creswell, 2014;Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2011). This study was carried out in Jordan with
primary school kids, instructors, and parents. Interviews, data collection, and benchmarking were employed in the study. Due to the COVID scenario, data was gathered through online interviews and questionnaires in order to gain in-depth information. After collecting the data, it was measured and analyzed to present it in graphs and tables to present the feedback of the research data collection receivers. Benchmarking will be required to determine a plan for reducing COVID19's detrimental impact on education.
The data was gathered from S.E.S schools and the management of Amman Baptist School, and also for parents and instructors, convenience sampling - Snowballing sampling was employed to obtain data from various public and private schools. There are ten questions for both instructors and parents. The participant type (School Managers, Teachers, and Parents), gender, age, and geography are all listed in the first section of the questioner. The second component of the report covered general information about online learning and the impact of COVID 19 on education. The third segment looks into specific feedback on a particular aspect of the experience. The final section includes a scale for potential methods to improve the online educational experience.
4. Discussion and Conclusion
Online Learning Experience
We discovered that the experience was good, bad, and hard for teachers, parents, and school administrators based on the data. However, the vast majority of respondents said that while online learning was tough at initially during COVID19, as the process became easier, they began to accept the new norm of educational practices. When compared to a literature review, online lectures and exams are extremely beneficial during a pandemic (Aliyyah, 2020). 2020 (Benitez & Ana). COVID19, in my opinion, had a significant impact on the educational sector, and sadly, most schools, instructors, and parents were unprepared. The transition from face-to- face to online learning created a challenge for parents in terms of creating a learning environment for their children while also managing household activities, but I believe the main challenge was for teachers who are also parents, as they had to teach and assist their children.
Respondents who claimed they had a good experience, on the other hand, said they had a proper space in which to care for their children or were familiarized with modern technology and teaching methods. Furthermore, the flawless transmission was attributed to the readiness of the school's system, staff, and surroundings, according to the school's managers who had a positive experience.
Improving the Distance Learning Process
According to the data gathered, the majority of the responses focused on improving learning methods and tools. In terms of learning methods, teachers emphasized the need for interactive programs to enhance the teaching experience, as well as administration support from the school to help them achieve their learning objectives. In the literature review, it was stated that in online teaching, multiple techniques are required to increase class engagement (Andrade &
Ronald , 2020).On the other hand, enhancing online learning tools and training instructors on how to use them; and, as part of the school's role, providing teachers with a good internet connection and computers to avoid any connection issues that disrupt the class. To improve remote learning, I believe the entire process should be reviewed and improved to meet the
needs of teachers. For instance, defining a new definition of the teacher's roles and responsibilities, as well as putting in new controls to measure class performance and matching the learning objectives, should be considered. Investing in new technologies and developing relationships with technology companies to build better tools that benefit instructors, students, parents, and schools is also a smart option.
Transmission from face-to-face learning to online learning
According to the responses to the interviewees, some of the schools had the infrastructure ready for the transmission and online learning was one of their contingency plans, whereas the majority of the institutions were scrambling and didn't know where to begin or what to do.
Changes in the educational system have compelled schools to use distance education, online learning, e-learning, and distance education, as well as some external studies (Shenoy & Navita , 2020). In my own view, It's time for schools to record their standard operating procedures (SOPs) and hold brainstorming sessions for all possible scenarios and contingencies. It's also time to invest in the IT technical team or sign a contract with an IT firm to support current systems and be a part of the school's digital transformation journey.
Schools’ strategies changes after the transmission
As per the received feedback from the schools' managers, In order to give a better educational experience, strategy analysis and change are required. Investment in research and development to improve processes and obtain useful technology, as well as defining new policies and procedures to address new alternative scenarios and the best method to respond to them. As stated in the research study, enhancing teaching and learning quality is a crucial step in the transmission of online home learning (Putri & Setyowati, 2020). I believe, to have a better understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and possibilities, schools should conduct internal and external strategic analyses such as PESTEL and SWOT analyses. On the other hand, teachers and support teachers, must attend awareness seminars and trainings to learn about their new tasks and functions following the change. On the operational level, the focus is on developing innovative interactive teaching approaches to pique students' interest in class and improve student-teacher contact. In addition, to bridge the gap between face-to-face and online learning, emphasize social engagement sessions.
Schools’ tracking and performance measurement tools
After any change, performance measurement and tracking tools and techniques are extremely crucial. The responses we received highlight the importance of keeping the teacher informed about who is learning and who may require additional assistance by monitoring student progress throughout each and every lesson – and the school also checks the entrance and exit tickets before the test. According to the literature review, monitoring the performance of the classes demands a focus on teaching methodologies and teachers' willingness to use technology (Andrade & Ronald , 2020).From my standpoint, A new system should be implemented to have controls and measures to monitor the progress of the class, and those measures should be reviewed on a daily basis, including the satisfaction aspect from the students, teacher, and parents, in order to have the capability to monitor the class, teacher, and student.
Parents’ supporting role in distance learning
In response to parent comments, it was stated that there are three sorts of assistance: emotional support, instrumental support, and informational support. Because all family members were at home all of the time, the parents tried their hardest to encourage their children and provide a conducive learning atmosphere. Parents can also help their children by giving the tools and equipment they need to attend class and do homework. Furthermore, parents' educational assistance is critical because they watch their children and assist them in their studies both directly and indirectly. in my opinion, parents should teach their children how to attend courses and study alone because the new manner of teaching will persist for some time, and the future of education will be tailored to prepare students to study and learn new material independently.
The parents' role is critical and sensitive in providing the appropriate level of care and support to their children, as well as maintaining communication with them to stay informed about their issues and assist them in overcoming them.
Parents’ techniques in motivating their children to study
Parents' responses to how they drive their children to study fall into two categories: extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation occurs when parents give their child a tangible present or reward for passing an exam or doing homework. The other form is intrinsic motivation, or self-motivation, in which the child develops motivation on his or her own and is not rewarded by the parents.I personally noticed when it came to emotional motivation, the parents' responses were positive, which I believe is because they know their children and how to encourage them to study and attend classes. For example, one of the respondents made an achievement board for her child and put a star on it every day he finished his homework and classes. At this stage, motivation is critical, especially because there is no clear answer as to when the pandemic will end or when they will return to school. It is the parents' responsibility to fill this gap by providing reasons and hope for their children to study and train, and then to have self-commitment.
The goal of this study is to close the knowledge gap on the actual impact of online learning following COVID19's unanticipated transmission in the educational sphere. The results were positive, particularly after people had passed through the initial phase of the pandemic and had become accustomed to the new way of learning; additionally, teachers had passed through the technical training phase and were no longer experiencing connectivity issues, allowing them to concentrate more on learning and implementing new teaching methods and techniques to keep improving the children's understanding of the provided subjects.Apart from this, the schools are more solid now, and they are more technically capable of teaching online. The schools' main focus is now on how to support their teachers and students while also adhering to the ministry of education's guidelines.
Another goal of this study is to develop techniques for reducing the negative effects of online learning. According to the findings, strategic analysis necessitated a review of the school's vision, mission, and objectives, as well as the development of new policies and procedures with a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities. The results of schools' tracking and performance measurement techniques differed depending on the maturity level of the school; for example, some schools focus on short-cycle formative assessment to monitor student progress throughout each and every lesson. Teachers will be able to keep track of who
is learning and who may want more assistance before the end of the class and the first quiz or test.
Finally, The last goal was to learn more about parents' involvement in supporting and contributing to the effectiveness of online learning. It was remarkable to see how much attention and care is given to creating a conducive learning atmosphere for the child, as well as the motivational techniques they employ to help the child develop self-reliance in their ability to study and learn without constant supervision.
For future work, it is feasible to examine the influence of online teaching on several types of schools that teach national, SAT, or IG curriculum. On the other hand, quantitative analysis is possible as well. I would also recommend researching the most effective approaches and methods for improving online education. It is critical to examine the most recent technologies and their implementation in various types of schools and student levels.
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