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Perceptions of Faculty Officials on Online Learning in Kenyan Institutions of Higher Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Rapid Qualitative Study

Stephen Okumu Ombere (Maseno University, Kenya)

Agnetta Adiedo Nyabundi (University of Pretoria, South Africa)

Higher Education in Emergencies: International Case Studies

ISBN: 978-1-83797-345-3, eISBN: 978-1-83797-344-6

Publication date: 6 November 2023

Abstract

Due to the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, education has been disrupted right from kindergarten to University. Globally, states are advocating for online learning. The COVID-19 pandemic had led to the closure of universities and it was not clear how long this would last. e-Learning was crucial. Lecturers were asked to complete their syllabuses and continue to teach and administer tests remotely. So far, there is a dearth of information on how Kenya’s higher education responded to the pandemic through online learning. This qualitative study utilized online platforms (zoom and Skype) for interviews. This study employed a constructivist approach to explore the faculty officials’ perception of online learning in Kenya’s institutions of higher education. Approximately 45 faculty officials from public universities were involved in this study. The study was carried out in three public universities in Western Kenya. The participants argued that online education was beneficial and primarily promoted online research and enabled them to connect with other practitioners in the global community. There were challenges associated with online learning for instance unreliable internet. This study’s results are hoped to inform the ministry of education and higher learning policies on making online effective and efficient to both the students and the lecturers. This will also be a fairer spring-ball for Kenya toward the realization of Vision 2030.

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Acknowledgements

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewer(s) of the chapter for their insightful comments and suggestions. We are also grateful to all faculty officials who participated in this study. This chapter has been written as part of a Wellcome Trust funded project “Reimagining Reproduction: Making babies, making kin and citizens in Africa” (project number 222874/Z/21/Z), at Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria, South Africa, and we hereby acknowledge its support.

Citation

Ombere, S.O. and Nyabundi, A.A. (2023), "Perceptions of Faculty Officials on Online Learning in Kenyan Institutions of Higher Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Rapid Qualitative Study", Sengupta, E. (Ed.) Higher Education in Emergencies: International Case Studies (Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, Vol. 52), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 111-124. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2055-364120230000052008

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited