Students’ Engagement and Active Participation During the Pandemic

Abstract

The mobility constraints due to the coronavirus COVID19 disease forced the universities to go online. Although online learning is familiar to students, online teaching and learning during the pandemic is something else. First of all, is like distance education when online teaching and learning is the only option. Extant research shows many disadvantages of exclusive online learning, such as lack of attention, decreased motivation, boredom, mental stress, and fatigue. Nevertheless, after two years of teaching and learning from home, teachers and students had time to adapt. This research is exploring the perceptions of students as regards online school with a focus on engagement and learning autonomy. A research model has been developed, analyzing the main factors that influence the students, engagement, and active participation. The model has been tested on a sample of326 university students in autumn 2021. The results show that the best way to keep students engaged is to stimulate communication with the teacher and other students and to adapt online courses to be interactive, attractive, and motivating.