Middle and High School Students’ Attitudes towardDistance Education: The Case of Qatar

Abstract

Countries worldwide have been facing an unprecedented virus that viciously sweptthroughout society, drastically changing everyday life. Governments enforced new safety measures to protect their citizens; many countrieswent intoa complete shutdown, closing borders, sealing facilities,and changing the daily routine of their citizens. In education, children were forced to remain home and receive their education via screens. Hence, this study investigatedmiddle and high school students’ attitudestoward distance education at public and private schoolsin Qatar. The study followeda mixed-method approach,using online surveys(1971)andsemi-structured interviews(20)tocollect data. A divided stance marked participants’ attitude toward distance education during the pandemic.Teachers’ support, continuous feedback,sufficientlearning resources,and appropriate technological skills, emerged as influential factorsthat could affect students’ attitudes toward distance learning. Further discussion and implications are included.