Perceptions of High School Students Adaptability Challenges to Online Learning Due to Unforeseeable Circumstances

Abstract

A growing body of literature has shown that in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, most schools have adopted online learning to address prolonged closure of physical learning classrooms. Considering online learning is at its nascent stages especially in rural schools, it is not clear the various adaptability challenges that high school students face while transitioning from face-to-face learning to online learning due to the unforeseen emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of this narrative study was to explore through stories the adaptability challenges that 12^th grade students face while transitioning from face-to-face learning to online learning in rural Mississippi. Three research questions were created to understand this research The Covid-19 pandemic has substantially impacted face-to-face learning in schools across the world. As learning institutions re-open post-pandemic, there has been a growing shift to online learning objective. The theoretical framework upon which this study was founded was based on three theories, namely social constructivism theory, pedagogical presence domain, and the sociocultural theory. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit six high school students after obtaining informed consent. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the raw data collected from the interviews. Results showed that high school students in Mississippi had a generally negative perception of adaptability challenges they faced while transitioning from face-to-face education to online education. The traditional mindset (face-to-face learning) has negatively impacted students who consider online learning less effective. Students also reported that there is a lack of leadership assistance during the transition from traditional to online learning, making the experience more challenging. Future research may improve the findings of this study by recruiting a larger sample for the interviews in addition to conducting a qualitative study.