A Cross Sectional Study to Assess the Prevalence of Anxiety and Perception of E-Learning among School Teachers

Abstract

Background: Though E-learning has been slowly finding its way into various academic programs, the
Covid-19 pandemic has suddenly forced it upon us, with no option left. For a few months now it has been the
only possible method of teaching and learning. Many of the schools, as well as faculty were using it to some
extent, but were not completely prepared. This posed a challenge to them. In this context, it is necessary to
understand the hardships faced by the teachers, their perception about e—learning and the anxiety caused
to them.
Method: A cross sectional study was conducted over a period of 4 weeks. A sample of 100 school teachers
was randomly selected by convenience sampling. A structured, pre-tested questionnaire through Google
forms was used to collect the data. The questionnaire assessed the benefits and disadvantages of e-learning
as perceived by the teachers. Anxiety was assessed using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. Data was
entered in Excel sheet and observations were tabulated and presented as proportions, using pie charts.
Results: 32% of the teachers felt that visual orientation is a positive aspect of e-learning, 67% felt that
e-learning offers better opportunities for students to improve their skill set. 34% expressed that they were
able to complete only 61-80% of the assigned subject matter for the day. Lack of face to face communication,
poor network connectivity, and inattentiveness of students were listed as the disadvantages of e-learning.
Despite training having been provided to conduct e-learning, 90% of the teachers experienced mild anxiety.
Conclusion: 58% of the teachers believed that E-learning could definitely be used on a regular basis, whereas
42% felt certain modifications and measures need to be in place before the actual process of complete
E-learning could be thought of as a modality to teach school children.