Students’ Challenges with Online Remote Teaching and Learning in South Africa

Abstract

ABSTRACT Online remote teaching and learning strategies have become part of tertiary institutions worldwide. This knowledge delivery method became more profound during the COVID-19 era, forcing institutions to keep this method even after the COVID-19 pandemic. Most tertiary institutions in African countries, including South Africa, have also embraced online remote teaching and learning strategies. This study investigated the challenges of built environment tertiary students with online remote teaching and learning methods. A qualitative approach was adopted using open-ended interview questions to solicit the views of the built environment tertiary students regarding the challenges they experience with the online remote teaching and learning method. A thematic content analysis method was used to categorize the data into themes and sub-themes. The results show that students face several online remote teaching and learning challenges. These challenges were categorized into power, schedule, technology issues, lack of focus, communication, and cost-related issues. The tertiary institution authorities must address these challenges to ensure the sustainability of online remote learning and teaching as many students work and attend schools, thus relying on this method to acquire knowledge. The study used data from tertiary institutions in South Africa; hence, the findings may not be generalizable to other countries.