Moroccan English Department Student Attitudes Towards the Use of Distance Education During COVID-19

Mohamed Benhima

OAI: oai:igi-global.com:277381 • DOI: 10.4018/IJICTE.20210701.oa7

The current study aims to investigate students' attitudes towards the use of distance education during COVID-19 in Morocco. The first cases of COVID-19 starting from the first weeks of March 2020 has obliged educational authorities to suspend face-to-face education. Immediately, distance education was declared the alternative means to complete the academic year. Moroccan TV channels started broadcasting lessons for different levels at different times. Moreover, teachers and students started using social media and university platforms to share lessons. However, not all students agree with distance education in the adopted format. Accordingly, the current study investigates the attitudes of Moroccan English Department students at Moulay Ismail University. A mixed-method design was adopted by triangulating data from five-point Likert scale questionnaires and a focus group. The results showed that students generally prefer face-to-face education rather than distance education. However, part-time students reported positive attitudes towards distance education. It is recommended that both distance education and face-to-face education should be planned by teachers, coordinators, and administrators.

Distance Education Education Educational Technologies