Interest of Students Toward Online Education: A Case Study of Religious Students

Abstract

Interest of student is very Significant in open and distance learning (ODL) education because of its profound influence on pedagogical implications. Extensive research has been conducted on the interest of science students in ODL during the post-pandemic period. However, understanding religious students’ interests holds particular significance because of their unique beliefs, values, and needs. Therefore, a case study was conducted to investigate the interest of religious students in online education and identify the factors influencing their interest. A total of 123 undergraduate students from the Faculty of Quranic and Sunnah Studies at the Islamic Science University of Malaysia participated in this study. All of them are third- and fourth-year students with experience in online learning. Data were collected using a structured Google form and analysed using appropriate statistical methods to gain insights into the participants’ interests and opinions. The results revealed that 85.4% of students had a positive attitude toward online learning, whereas 14.6% had an unfavourable attitude. Additionally, 73.2% preferred traditional learning, while 26.8% preferred online learning. Furthermore, 44.7% believed that online learning provided the same quality as traditional education, whereas 55.3% disagreed. These findings have significant implications for the development and implementation of future online learning strategies in Islamic education.