Learners’ engagement assessment in e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: nation-wide exploration

The purpose of this study is to determine how learners feel about distance learning as a substitute for face-to-face learning. A nationwide survey of over 11,000 students was conducted during the covid-19 outbreak to evaluate how students in grades 8–12 responded to and viewed full-time e-learning practices. Two-thirds of students had negative attitudes toward e-learning, according to the findings of the survey in the five selected issues of effectiveness, ease of use, interactivity, motivation, and academic assessment of the e-learning platform. Regardless of the students’ age, gender, grade, branch, or technology used, they all had a negative opinion regarding e-learning. In addition to technological issues, the majority of students cited psychological and social factors as reasons for their negative attitudes toward e-learning, such as a lack of readiness and ability to adapt to a new style of education, ineffectiveness of the means and methods used, and poor communication with teachers and other classmate learners. On the practical side, the study’s findings point to the necessity to adapt the teaching style via the electronic platform to be more acceptable to students, particularly in terms of engagement and providing a stimulating learning environment.