Nigerian Higher Institution Scholars’ Perception amid COVID-19 Pandemic

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue X, October 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

 Nigerian Higher Institution Scholars’ Perception amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Ilokanulo Samuel Nchekwubemchukwu¹, Patrick Ogechukwu Blessing², Mustapha Bala Tsakuwa^3
1Faculty of Education, Department of Comparative Education, Southwest University, China
²Faculty of Education Department of Education Leadership and Management, Southwest University, China
³Faculty of International Studies, Department of Foreign Language and Applied Linguistics, Southwest University, China

Abstract:- As the devastating effects of COVID-19 pandemic was being felt by all nations of the world, socio-economic and political undertakings were temporarily suspended, also, academic activities in almost all countries were postponed or adjusted. However, because the gravity of the pandemic effects differs, countries’ higher institutions’ preparations and responses varied to some degrees. Therefore, this paper studied scholar’s perceptions of the Nigerian higher institutions’ preparations and responses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The quantitative research method was employed and the questionnaire was administered via WhatsApp and WeChat to the research respondents. The data collected were analyzed using wenjuanxing software and results were presented in bar charts. The research findings showed that Nigerian higher institutions face high cost of internet data, inconsistent electricity supply, and poor network services and these can affect scholars’ readiness and participation in the virtual classrooms. There was no significant difference among the research participants based on their gender, academic status and geographical location. Hence, the study recommends a need to train both the staff and the students on the online classes by the institutions, and issues of poor network, high cost of data, and inconsistent electricity should be addressed by the government to help virtual education in the Nigerian high institutions function properly.

Keywords: Perceptions; Higher Institutions; Scholars; COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction

The onset of the year 2020 witnessed a horrible spread of COVID-19 infection, which started in China at the end of 2019. Till date, the disease has been disrupting many human activities across the globe. The devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is being felt by nations all over the world and in many countries, socio-economic and political undertakings have been temporarily suspended. Likewise, academic activities in almost all countries are being postponed or adjusted. In China, for instance, the resumption of the spring academic semester, as well as many economic, social and religious activities were temporarily suspended. To avert the interruption of educational activities, Chinese schools, especially the higher institutions sprang into online learning. China plunged into online learning, which became a compulsory alternative to continue education amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It was believed that online-based classes presented to the universities in China the flexibility necessary to contain the virus spread and maintain an uninterrupted academic semester. In many societies, little was known about the students’ viewpoints regarding the students’ narratives amid the pandemic, its effects on their socio-academic lives, and the various challenges they encountered in online learning.

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