Who Needs Zoom? Female Arab Students’ Perceptions of Face-to-Face Learning and Learning on Zoom

Abstract

Zoom has been adopted by Al-Qasemi Academic College of Education as an alternative to face-to-face teaching/learning since the outset of COVID-19. The study explores female students’ perceptions of social presence, social interaction, and satisfaction in Zoom learning compared to face-to-face learning, along with the overall factors shaping their perceptions. All 228 participants were female students who learned via Zoom during the pandemic for at least one semester before switching back to face-to-face learning. A mixed-method design was used in the study, which included a questionnaire to learn about students’ perceptions and semi-structured interviews to gain in-depth understanding of the factors affecting their attitudes. The results indicate that students’ perceptions of social presence, social interaction, and satisfaction tended to be higher for face-to-face learning than Zoom learning. They also suggest a significant relationship between the students’ satisfaction and their perceptions of social presence and interaction. Furthermore, the students’ degrees and majors seem to have had a significant bearing on their level of satisfaction with Zoom learning. Finally, the findings of the thematic analysis of the interviewees’ responses show that there were other factors influencing the participants’ perceptions. Thus, an informed combination of face-to-face and Zoom learning is encouraged as a sustainable solution to enhance student satisfaction.