Student Satisfaction with Online Learning: A Comparative Study of Theoretical and Technical Courses at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia

Student satisfaction with online learning is still an issue in higher education institutions, especially when it comes to courses with different pedagogical approaches. Theoretical and technical courses typically offer different learning experiences, but their effectiveness in the online mode is not yet fully understood. This study was conducted to compare the level of student satisfaction between two different types of courses: a theoretical course (Intercultural Pragmatics) and a technical course (Arabic Language and E-Content Development). Both courses were offered in a blended mode (online and face-to-face) to students of the Bachelor of Arabic Language program at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia. A total of 89 students who took both courses were selected as study respondents and were asked to fill out a questionnaire that covered aspects of motivation and enjoyment of learning, understanding and structure of the course, communication, learning challenges, effectiveness of the platform, overall satisfaction, and choice of learning mode with reasons. The study findings showed that students in theoretical courses recorded significantly higher mean scores in aspects of enjoyment of learning, understanding of content, effectiveness of course structure, and interest in taking similar courses in the future. Respondents found that theoretical courses were easier to understand, structured and suited to self-directed learning styles. On the other hand, students in technical courses, although they still showed minimal and acceptable levels of satisfaction, faced challenges in terms of stress, difficulty in focusing, and the effectiveness of material delivery. Overall, theoretical courses were more successful in meeting students’ needs in the context of online learning compared to technical courses. This study suggests that the structure and teaching design of technical courses should be adapted to a more interactive, practical, and student-centered approach. Flexible pedagogical adaptation based on the nature of the course is expected to help increase student satisfaction with the course.

student satisfaction, online learning, theoretical courses, technical courses, pedagogical approaches

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