Obstacles of Online Learning Facing Nursing Students after the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the online style of instruction started to replace the traditional style in Jordan. Aims. This study aims to (1) assess the nursing students’ perceived obstacles to online learning in Jordan; (2) explore significant relationships between participants’ characteristics and their perceived obstacles; and (3) assess for significant differences in the perceived obstacles based on participants’ characteristics. Methods. A cross-sectional, descriptive design was utilized in this study. A convenient sample of 325 nursing students responded to a self-reported questionnaire utilizing Google Forms. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the dataset using the SPSS software. Results. The mean scores of the obstacles to online learning were 2.94 (SD = 0.95) for the academic obstacles subscale, 2.90 (SD = 0.83) for the technological obstacles subscale, and 3.25 (SD = 1.00) for the administrative obstacles subscale. Significant associations were found between participants’ characteristics and perceived obstacles to online learning. For instance, the type of university was significantly associated with academic (r = −0.32, p<0.01), technological (r = −0.21, p<0.01), and administrative obstacles (r = −0.32, p<0.01). Furthermore, significant differences were found in the perceived obstacles based on the participants’ demographic and studentship-related characteristics. Conclusions. According to their perceptions of online learning, nursing students in Jordan face three types of obstacles: academic, technical, and administrative. Decision-makers should intervene to enhance the online learning experience by overcoming the reported obstacles.