Impact of digital learning on education amid the COVID-19 pandemic – A case study of Wah Cantt

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a global lockdown, causing profound impacts on various aspects of life, including the education sector. In response, the Government of Pakistan mandated the closure of all educational institutions on March 13, 2020, leading to the adoption of digital learning methods for educational continuity. The purpose of the research is to identify the factors influencing the students' and teachers’ intention to use digital learning during the pandemic, utilizing the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and their overall satisfaction with it. The study focuses on the city of Wah Cantt due to its high literacy rate of approximately 96 percent, which enables a data set from whole city and allows us to narrow the research focus to the outcomes and impacts of distance learning, excluding factors such as poverty, lack of resources, and deficiencies in the education system. Data were collected using an online survey from 260 respondents, comprising 90 teachers and 170 students. Simple linear regression was used to test the hypotheses. Findings of the study showed that Perceived ease of use is the main determinant for attitude and behavioral intention towards use of online learning for the students and teachers of Wah Cantt. Resultantly behavioral intention towards e-learning provides for their overall satisfaction. It can also be concluded that regardless of the perceived usefulness of e-learning the attitude and behavioral intention of the city’s students and teachers towards online learning is positive.