Secondary school learners’ online learning experiences during COVID-19 lockdown

Abstract

This study investigated secondary school learners’ experiences and perceptions of online learning during COVID-19. A convenient sample of 69 learners participated in the study. The data was collected with the aid of a questionnaire. Thematic analysis was applied to open-ended responses. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were calculated on both closed- and open responses with the aid of SPSS software. The paper exploits the Community of Inquiry framework on classifying learners’ online learning experiences. It was discovered that learners had both positive and negative experiences in the social, cognitive, and teaching dimensions of online learning. They experienced greater online learning challenges in the social dimension than in other dimensions. The teaching dimension contributed most to learners’ enjoyment of online learning, while the least enjoyment was contributed by social presence. They approached online learning with varied perceptions that could be classified into negative, positive, and very positive perceptions. Moreover, their perceptions of online learning could be classified as positive.