The Constraints of Learning from Home during the Pandemic: Experiences of Rural HEI Students

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic made many institutions of learning at various levels across the globe to shift from onsite to online teaching and learning activities. This was regardless of the level of preparation made available for the transition process. Meanwhile, students from rural institutions of learning are considered to have peculiar challenges with such shift. Thus, this study investigated the constraints of students from a selected South African Rural Higher Education Institution (SARHEI). Quantitative method was employed in this study. Data was collected from 274 randomly selected undergraduates from a rural based South African university. Questionnaire was used for data collection. The collected data was analysed using Microsoft Excel 2016. The findings of the study showed that students tend to experience certain forms of constraints due to the available support systems from the institution of higher learning, as well infrastructure and skills for studying at home. Meanwhile, further findings showed that their level of computer skills did not constitute constraints for the students. The study recommends that appropriate support systems should be made available by rural institutions of higher learning, and students are furnished with necessary infrastructure and skills for learning from home.