Students’ Learning Motivation with Virtual Pedagogy during COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Recently, the education system faced an unpredicted health pandemic (COVID-19) that led to quick actions by governments to transform education from traditional face-to-face learning to modern virtual/distance learning. Due to the transition to a new education environment, learners needed special social care to improve their concentration and motivation for online learning in such a crucial crisis. In the current study, virtual learning is investigated to determine its impact on student’s motivation from teachers' perception. The influence of teachers on students’ motivation is examined by measuring the effects of teachers` gender, age, experiences, and levels of education. The current study also reflects on the influence of obstacles that face virtual education and their impact on student’s motivation. The current study is conducted at the Department of Education in Jeddah Region for teachers in middle and secondary schools. To answer the research questions and discuss their results, the current study followed the descriptive analytical methodology and deployed the social survey method. Afterwards, statistical anis were utilized to analyze the responses to the survey. The results revealed that the motivation of students is directly affected by determinants, such as the age of teachers and the practical experience they possess, since there is a statistically significant relationship between the two variables of virtual learning. Research results also indicate a strong relationship between the obstacles of online learning and the motivation of students.