Medical Students’ Perceptions Towards Online Teaching During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study from Saudi Arabia

Figures & data

Table 1 Demography and Characteristics of Participants

Characteristics	Number of Students (n)	Percentage (%)
Gender
Male	202	36%
Female	361	64%
Total	563	100%
Educational level (2nd–6th year students, 1st preparatory year students are excluded)
2nd year	160	28%
Male	58	10%
Female	102	18%
3rd year	171	30%
Male	59	10%
Female	112	20%
4th year	67	12%
Male	25	4.5%
Female	42	7.5%
5th year	93	17%
Male	31	6%
Female	62	11%
6th year	72	13%
Male	29	5%
Female	43	8%
Total (2nd–6th year)	563	100%

Figure 1 Number of hours spent weekly on online learning and teaching prior and during the Covid-19 Pandemic. N = 425; P ‹ 0.01.

Table 2 Assessment of Platforms’ Effectiveness

Effectiveness	N	1 N (%)	2 N (%)	3 N (%)	4 N (%)	5 N (%)	Mean	SD
Live lectures/ tutorials via Zoom	424	20 (5%)	53 (13%)	95 (22%)	135 (32%)	121 (29%)	3.7	1.152
Learning materials uploaded on Blackboard	367	52 (14%)	45 (12%)	118 (32%)	92 (25%)	60 (16%)	3.2	1.253
Pre-recorded lectures/ tutorials	375	25 (7%)	42 (11%)	64 (17%)	96 (26%)	148 (39%)	3.8	1.256

Notes: Likert scale from 1–5 was used for ranking, where 1=Least effective and 5=most effective. Data are presented as numbers (N), percentages (%), and means and standard deviations (SD).

Table 3 Assessment of Platforms’ Interaction Level

Interaction	N	Not Interactive (1) N (%)	Interactive to Some Extent (2) N (%)	Interactive (3) N (%)	Mean	SD
Live lectures/ tutorials via Zoom	418	37 (9%)	194 (46%)	187 (45%)	2.36	0.639
Learning materials uploaded on Blackboard	305	165 (54%)	80 (26%)	60 (20%)	1.66	0.788
Pre-recorded lectures/ tutorials	352	232 (66%)	72 (20%)	48 (14%)	1.48	0.724

Notes: Scale from 1–3 was used for ranking, where 1 for not interactive and 3 for interactive. Data are presented as numbers (N), percentages (%), and means and standard deviations (SD).

Table 4 Respondents’ Perceptions Towards Online Learning and Teaching Experiences

Statements	Mean	±SD
The teaching is often motivating	2.96	1.189
I find it easy to engage in the lesson	2.98	1.334
I feel able to ask questions	3.28	1.259
I enjoy the online teaching	3.29	1.408
I would like the online teaching to be more interactive	3.50	1.098
I feel that online teaching is as effective as face-to-face teaching	2.77	1.481
I prefer online teaching to face-to-face teaching	3.07	1.526
The teachers are well prepared for the online teaching sessions	3.33	1.148
I feel I am being well prepared for my profession	3.17	1.246

Notes: Likert scale from 1–5 was used for ranking, where 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree. Data are presented as means and standard deviations (SD). N = 394.

Figure 2 (A–C) Understanding scientific materials delivered online vs actual classroom. Comparison 2nd–3rd (preclinical years) vs 4th–6th (clinical years) students. (A) PBL/CBL. (P=0.113) (B) Theoretical lectures. (P ‹ 0.001) (C) Practical/clinical lectures. (P = 0.449).

Table 5 Enjoyable Aspects of and Barriers to Online Learning and Teaching

Enjoyable Aspects of Online Learning and Teaching	Frequency of Responses (%)
1) Online accessibility of materials	278 (73.2%)
2) Flexibility in time	265 (69.7%)
3) More comfortable	248 (65.3%)
4) No travel	236 (62.1%)
5) Ability to learn at own pace	215 (56.6%)
6) Cost saving	212 (55.8%)
7) Ability to ask questions	110 (28.9%)
8) Interactive	86 (22.6%)
9) Others	21 (5.5%)
Barriers to Online Learning and Teaching	Frequency of Responses (%)
1) Internet connection	234 (61.6%)
2) Lack of effective communication compared to face-to-face interaction	185 (48.7%)
3) Family distractions	184 (48.4%)
4) Lack of self-discipline	158 (41.6%)
5) Lack of time management	132 (34.7%)
6) Anxiety	106 (27.9%)
7) Stress	104 (27.4%)
8) Timing of the lectures/tutorials	95 (25%)
9) Lack of virtual student support services	79 (20.8%)
10) Lack of space	73 (19.2%)
11) Lack of technical support	70 (18.4%)
12) Lack of devices	47 (12.4%)
13) Others	23 (6.1%)

Note: Number of students N = 380.

Table 6 Impacts of Online Learning and Teaching on Students’ Health and Social Life Comparison 2nd–3rd vs 4th–6th Students

Impacts of Online Learning and Teaching on Students		P value
Headache/ vision problems or other medical conditions
2nd–3rd (Pre-clinical)	146 (71%)	P‹0.001
4th–6th (Clinical)	78 (53%)
Anxiety
2nd–3rd (Pre-clinical)	121 (52%)	P=0.001
4th–6th (Clinical)	51 (35%)
Stress
2nd–3rd (Pre-clinical)	132 (57%)	P‹0.001
4th–6th (Clinical)	52 (36%)
Social isolation
2nd–3rd (Pre-clinical)	155 (67%)	P‹0.001
4th–6th (Clinical)	70 (48%)
Lack of physical activities
2nd–3rd (Pre-clinical)	195 (84%)	P=0.027
4th–6th (Clinical)	110 (75%)
Personal connection
2nd–3rd (Pre-clinical)	138 (59%)	P=0.028
4th–6th (Clinical)	71 (48%)

Data Sharing Statement

Data of this study are available upon request from the corresponding author.