Has COVID-19 Affected Students' Attitudes towards Online Education? A Case Study of Azerbaijan

Abstract

The article analyses changes in attitudes towards online education in Azerbaijan during the unprecedented global lockdown resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic led to the total closure of all educational institutions in Azerbaijan and marked the beginning of massive online learning in schools and universities across the country. The present study is based on analysis of data collected from a survey of 1300 students representing 20 universities in Azerbaijan. The starting point for the analysis was to ask whether the students had online learning experience prior to the mandatory shift to distance learning or not. The students were also asked to provide their opinion regarding both traditional and online learning tools. This information enabled the research group to examine the weaknesses and strengths of both educational models. Having little to no experience with online education, about 36.5% of Azerbaijani students nonetheless expressed willingness to continue their education in an online mode, most preferring online courses over online degree programs. Difficulties with technical issues and unprepared instructors were cited as key issues among the remaining 63% of students who preferred the traditional mode of education.