Virtual classes during COVID-19 pandemic: focus on university students’ affection, perceptions, and problems in the light of resiliency and self-image

Abstract

Although online learning has been studied extensively over the last two decades, students’ feedback toward such classes during the COVID-19 pandemic seems essential due to their effects on the education systems. The present exploratory sequential mixed methods study aimed to address university students’ affection, perception, and problems in online courses during the pandemic considering their resiliency and self-image. A 37-item virtual class Affection Perceptions, Problems, Resiliency, and Self-image Questionnaire (APPRSQ) was developed, validated, and administered online to 252 university Translation and TEFL-major students. The results demonstrated that the APPRSQ is a valid and reliable data gathering instrument. The participants’ answers to APPRSQ indicated that they were resilient and could adapt to the new learning mode. However, they preferred face-to-face classes, though they believed online courses were inevitable during the pandemic. Such courses had some advantages, such as enhancing students’ technological knowledge and helping them become autonomous. The triangulated data obtained from interviews with 20 students were analyzed. The results could provide a further understanding of APPRSQ factors. The study suggests that teachers and educational authorities improve the quality of online classes.