Exploring the Relationship between E-Learning Difficulties and Learners’ Self-Reliance during the Coronavirus Pandemic. The Case of Second Year BA Students of English at Larbi Tébessi University – Tébessa

Abstract

The outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 and the sudden shift from traditional face-to-face learning to the adoption of e-learning have created a literature gap in both learning and teaching processes, as this new approach has never been essentially used before in the educational process. Accordingly, the current study aims to explore the relationship between e-learning difficulties and learners’ self-reliance during COVID-19. Moreover, this research study seeks to explore e- learning difficulties and its effectiveness, as a new method, in developing learners' self- reliance. Correspondingly, the research questions attempt to fill the gap of the present study. The first question seeks to discover e-learning difficulties and its effects on the development of learners’ self-reliance during the outbreak. Therefore, the statistics show that there are serious difficulties such as, the lack of the Internet and training that prevent the development of self-reliance. The second question searches to know the nature of the relationship between e-learning and student self-reliance. Correspondingly, the majority of the answers show that the lack of students’ awareness prohibits them from enhancing their self- reliance. However, the last question strives to unravel the effectiveness of e-learning as a new method to develop learners’ self-reliance. Indeed, the findings reveal that this method would be very beneficial if good training and enough practice existed. Moreover, two hypotheses have been formulated; the first assumption proposes that e-learning difficulties hinder the development of learners’ self-reliance, which is proved. The second assumption suggests that the more learners embrace distance learning, the more self-reliant and independent they become, and it is disproved. Furthermore, a mixed method approach is followed with convergent parallel design for data analysis. The sample consists of 105 second year students and 10 teachers of English department at Larbi Tébessi University –Tébessa. Thus, a semi-structured questionnaire is designed for students, while a semi-structured interview is conducted with teachers. Hence, the data obtained is analyzed statistically using the parametric statistical technique for the questionnaire, and the thematic content approach for the interview. Key Words: COVID-19, E-learning, Self-Reliance, Traditional Face-to- Face Learning.