The Learning Then and Now: A Case Study on the Effects of Gender on Online Learning Support Post Covid-19 at a South African University
Issue: Vol.5 No.3 Issue Article 15 pp.343-351
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20245315 | Published online 22nd March, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This paper explored students’ online learning experiences before and post-Covid-19 pandemic with a focus on whether all students are supported to have online learning access without considering their gender differences. The questionnaire was used to collect data from 247 students who were randomly selected from the cohort of 400 students. The study tested the four null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance: (i) H0: There is no significant association between gender and access to laptop for learning purposes, (ii) H0: There is no significant association between gender and access to internet for learning purposes, (iii) H0: There is no significant association between gender and access to data for learning purposes and (iv) H0: There is no significant association between gender and who provides data to access internet for learning purposes. This study revealed that there is no significant association between the following: gender and access to laptops, gender and access to the internet, gender and access to data, and gender and who provides data to access internet for learning purposes. The study therefore recommended the following: lecturers must not conduct classes when students are at their homes assuming that every student has access to internet connectivity; the provision of necessary support for online learning needs to be strengthened by all the parties who are responsible for support students with relevant equipment for active online learning so that no students is left behind when blended learning is implemented; support students with necessary gadgets and adequate amount of data to enhance online learning; students must be supplied with laptops regardless of gender and year of study. The paper contributes to scholarship by addressing gender disparities in online learning, providing valuable insights for educational institutions, offering a methodological model for future studies, and informing policies to create a more inclusive and effective online learning environment.
Keywords: Covid-19, Institution, Online Learning, Remote Learning, Student Access, Gender, Differences, Technology
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Professor Shakespear Maliketi Chiphambo (Ph.D.,M.Ed., B.Ed Honours, B.Ed., PGDip. Ed., Dip.Ed) is a Mathematics Education Lecturer at Walter Sisulu University (WSU). He has over 30 research publications including research and book chapters in different peer-reviewed journals and edited books. Attended and presented at both international and national conferences. He has been serving as a research paper reviewer for the South African International Conference in Education (SAICEd), The 11th European Conference on Education, Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (EJMSTE), National Research Foundation (NRF), Pythagoras journal, Walter Sisulu University, Journal of Education (Journal of the SA Education Research Association (SAERA)) and African Evaluation journal. He is interested in education research with a focus on teaching and learning of geometry and measurement, and early childhood education.
Dr Mabel-wendy Mashologu, a pensioner having a contract with Walter Sisulu University in South Africa as a Research Associate in the Department of Continuing Teacher Professional Development. Her key performance areas being the D.Ed supervisor, she developed an interest in research for publication, this is where she acquired research skills. When she joined as a lecturer of research methodology, there was a revelation that many teachers have content gaps in the various subjects that they teach. Hence her field of research is in Teacher Training and Professional Development. Throughout her career today, she managed to publish 28 research articles in Department of Higher Education accredited journals. As a seasoned researcher, she aims to continue publishing more research papers in the field of education from the mathematics research project to start in 2024 for in-service teachers’ development.
Chiphambo, Shakespear M. & Mabel-Wendy N. Mashologu .“The Learning Then and Now: A Case Study on the Effects of Gender on Online Learning Support Post Covid-19 at a South African University,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 5, no.3 (2024): 343-351. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20245315
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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