The Effectiveness of Online Learning Amid the COVID19 Pandemic Case of Bahrain

Abstract

In Just six months, COVID-19 has turned the world upside down, everything in the life has been impacted and changed. The outbreak pandemic has affected our lives in different ways, as it wreaks havoc on our businesses, jobs, entertainment, education, etc., which has forced the world to face this new challenge through finding out alternatives to cope with the impact of the coronavirus to keep the life continues. One of the key sectors which has been affected by the pandemic is the education sector, as all educational bodies have announced closure to protect students and teachers from the pandemic. Bahrain, as other countries, has affected by the pandemic, which pushed the country to face the new situation in the beginning stages of the pandemic in Feb 2020 by taking several precautionary measures to contain the spread of coronavirus, which included closing down schools, universities, and other private education institutions. However, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has decided to continue the study through online learning at all levels, along with pull learnings through broadcasting recorded lessons to students on the national television channel (Bahrain TV). The purpose of this research thus is to investigate the effectiveness of online learning during the lockdown and how it was managed by MOE, taking into consideration the way students-teachers and students-schools interacted during lockdown. The research used two dependent variables to measure the aforementioned interaction through  perceived learning and perceived satisfaction in order to reap the benefits of learning during the lockdown. The study used the quantitative method through a survey analysis with a total of 130 students based on a questionnaire. A simple regression technique was carried out to analyze the outcomes. On the other hand, the qualitative research was conducted using secondary data to understand how MOE Assess the value of e-learning along with students’ opinions during lockdown. Based on the results from both methods, the papers can identify any gaps in order to better understanding of the effects of such new learning method in secondary education in Bahrain, which is the research objective. It concludes by discussing the findings and recommending steps to make the project more improved in the future.