Online Learning in Mathematics Higher Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Study of Portuguese Students

Abstract

Coronavirus pandemic has impacted the whole education system. Suddenly, presential classrooms are replaced by online learning, leaving students and teachers to deal with various problems without any specific preparation. This research study examines the perceptions of 78 students from a Portuguese Higher Education (HE) institution towards online learning during the Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic. Two months after the implementation of the online learning, they responded to a survey whose responses were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and independent Chi-squared tests. The findings of this study reveal the difficulties that the students encountered, like the lack of familiar/spatial conditions at home, the failures of Internet connection, and the fear of clarifying doubts in this context. The preference for face-to-face classes was also expressed. However, the selected platform used for the online classes, the appropriate development of the explanations and the digital contents made available by the teachers were appreciated by the students. The present research also investigates the factors that affected the study motivation of the students and the future plans regarding their studies.