EMERGENCY REMOTE LEARNING AND MOROCCAN STUDENTS’ INTEREST IN ONLINE INSTRUCTION POST PANDEMIC

Abstract

The purpose of the study is investigate the effect of emergency remote learning on students’ interest in receiving online classes as part of the post-pandemic education paradigm in Morocco. Through non-probability snowball sampling, a total of 143 Moroccan students enrolled at Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University Fez, Morocco participated in the study by completing a 21-item questionnaire. The instrument consisted of demographic questions and items relying on a seven-point Likert scale. Convenience, cost, and students’ self-regulated learning were identified as dimensions of emergency remote learning experience. Moreover, the scales were analyzed for internal consistency and were shown to comply with the required standards. Using Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple linear regression, convenience and self-regulated learning were found to be significantly associated with students’ interest in online learning. However, cost was not a significant predictor. Hence, the study concludes that after experiencing online education amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, Moroccan under-graduate students have developed an interest in the incorporation of online instruction as one of the constituents of the Moroccan post-pandemic education model. Implications and suggestions for policymakers based on the findings of this study are discussed. Moreover, limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are addressed.