STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF ONLINE LEARNING AT ONE LOCAL UNIVERSITY

Abstract

The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 has forced students of all levels worldwide to switch to online learning. No one was ready for such a dramatic change, especially in education. After announcing the widespread lockdown, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan decided to switch all educational institutions to the online format entirely. The academic year 2020-2021 began in distance mode. Thus, online learning has be-come more of a necessity than a preference, and its importance is growing worldwide. According to a survey conducted by the DEMOSCOPE Express Public Opinion Monitoring Bureau in 2020, only 16% of residents support distance learning in Kazakhstan, and 43% of respondents oppose it (Kursiv.kz, 2020). This indicates that students at all levels have faced challenges during the sudden shift to an online learning format. However, it is not clear how students of higher educa-tion institutions in the country perceive the process of online learning and what challenges are encountered during this experience. Therefore, this study aims to explore students' perceptions of the transition to online learning, what challenges they faced during this process, and the per-ceived advantages and disadvantages of online learning. A qualitative approach was used for the study. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight master's students from one graduate school at the University of X. The results showed that most students perceived online learning more negatively than face-to-face learning. They faced several problems related to their personalities, living conditions, university administration, and faculty readiness. Despite the ben-efits of online learning, including time savings, financial benefits, convenience, flexibility, and the opportunity to combine with work, it can be concluded that most students still prefer the face-to-face mode of study. They listed disadvantages of online learning, such as lack of social life, poor class engagement, and dependence on electronic devices and Internet connection. Keywords: online learning, student perceptions, higher education