EVALUATING EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS ONLINE LEARNING VERSUS FACE-TO-FACE LEARNING

Abstract

Like many countries worldwide, Algeria has been hit by the sudden outbreak of covid-19. As a result, the Algerian government has taken severe measures to reduce the spread of the virus. However, the Algerian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research was left with no choice but to adopt online learning. Thus, they unexpectedly shifted from face-to-face to online learning as an alternative learning mode during the pandemic. This research examined and evaluated students' perceptions of online learning compared to face-to-face learning. A mixed-method of quantitative and qualitative data was collected through a questionnaire destined for Master one students of English at the University of Djilali Bounaama in Khemis Miliana. The findings showed that face-to-face perceptions were higher than in online learning regarding the challenges students face in online learning, such as internet accessibility, technical problems and time management. Therefore, covid-19 allows making a revolutionary change in the educational sector