Reasons for Undergraduates’ Attitudes toward Online Learning

Abstract

While online learning was implemented voluntarily in some countries, the pandemic forced many countries to embrace online learning as the only strategy for continuing the education of university students. Even though Sri Lanka was returning to some normalcy, the current economic catastrophe in Sri Lanka still forces online learning. Although the previous studies focused on many aspects of online learning, students’ attitudes toward online learning and the reasons behind those attitudes received rare attention. In this background, our paper explores the reasons for university students’ attitudes toward online learning based on nearly two and a half years of experience. Under the qualitative methodology, 20 semi-structured interviews were held with private and state university students. Our data analyses revealed that while no students have extremely positive or negative attitudes, many believe in online learning during crises. Also, in general, our participants’ attitudes toward online learning were mixed since they felt positive and negative about it depending on psychological factors, teaching methods, online learning environment, administration, colleagues, and crisis-driven reasons. While online learning was implemented voluntarily in some countries, the pandemic forced many countries to embrace online learning as the only strategy for continuing the education of university students. Even though Sri Lanka was returning to some normalcy, the current economic catastrophe in Sri Lanka still forces online learning. Although the previous studies focused on many aspects of online learning, students’ attitudes toward online learning and the reasons behind those attitudes received rare attention. In this background, our paper explores the reasons for university students’ attitudes toward online learning based on nearly two and a half years of experience. Under the qualitative methodology, 20 semi-structured interviews were held with private and state university students. Our data analyses revealed that while no students have extremely positive or negative attitudes, many believe in online learning during crises. Also, in general, our participants’ attitudes toward online learning were mixed since they felt positive and negative about it depending on psychological factors, teaching methods, online learning environment, administration, colleagues, and crisis-driven reasons.