EFL college students’ perceptions toward the overall implementation of online class during the COVID-19 pandemic: Focusing on self-directed learning and motivation

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate not only the EFL college students’ perceptions about the overall implementation of online classes for general English courses but also the extent of self-directed learning and learning motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic. For data collection, a survey was done of 123 junior-college students who took online English classes. The results revealed the followings: First, students were highly satisfied with online video lectures, especially regarding the length of lecture, learning contents, and class satisfaction. Second, students had little difficulty in interacting with their professors due to frequent and prompt feedback by both LMS and smartphone texting. In particular, this feedback motivated students towards self-directed learning. Though students preferred online video lectures, they agreed that the most effective learning method for English classes takes place in face-to-face classes.