Emergency remote learning during COVID-19 crisis: Students' engagement

Area of Science:

• Education
• Sociology
• Information Technology

Background:

• Previous research on student engagement predates the COVID-19 crisis.
• Limited studies exist on emergency remote learning factors in developing nations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore factors influencing middle school student engagement in online learning during the COVID-19 crisis in developing countries.
• To address the gap in research concerning emergency remote learning during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews with 34 participants (students, teachers, parents).
• Online class observations of 13 sessions.
• Thematic analysis for data categorization.

Main Results:

• Key factors identified: infrastructure, cultural norms, digital inequality, and digital privacy threats.
• Cultural factors particularly impacted female students due to parental bias.
• Teacher presence and content quality significantly influenced engagement.

Conclusions:

• Online learning during the crisis exacerbated digital inequality and privacy concerns, negatively affecting engagement.
• Parental concerns, norms, and traditions played a crucial role in engagement.
• Future research should consider mixed-methods and larger participant pools.