How much school students attend is a powerful indicator of their wellbeing and a strong predictor of their future success in school. Prior research has documented the myriad in-school and out-of-school factors that contribute to high levels of student absenteeism, many emerging from the root causes of poverty and disengagement. The shift to online…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, most Indian schools were closed for nearly two years, despite extensive evidence showing most children could not access online learning. In our interviews with those affected by school closures in North India, teachers and parents who could access online learning described it as 'the only option'. This aligns with the…

This study explores the classroom management challenges encountered by teachers in online classrooms compared to traditional classrooms. A qualitative case study approach was employed, whereby 97 teachers with experience of remote teaching were interviewed using semi-structured questions to identify and analyze the challenges encountered. The…

This phenomenological study sought to understand the lived experiences of socially disadvantaged students from the Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica, who faced digital inequality during emergency remote education amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their challenges vis-à-vis the transition to in-person classes in 2022. Using a hermeneutic…

The aim of this study is to understand how distance education is experienced from the perspective of teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study is a part of a comprehensive grounded theory research, and data were obtained from semi-structured interviews with 23 teachers. Data were analyzed using Charmaz's two-stage coding process. As a…

For decades, the field of educational technology (ed-tech) has been characterised by overoptimism and lofty promises that often fail to materialise. This research investigates the narrative claims or hype of ed-tech across diverse education contexts in seven Asian-Pacific countries. It uses a qualitative meta-analysis of research reports developed…

The digital age has opened up new and exciting opportunities for Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in universities. But, is going digital reinforcing the existing social inequalities? This qualitative research examines the three levels of digital divide and digital inequality among learners at India's National Open University, IGNOU. The findings…

The purpose of this research is to fill the gap in the literature by examining organizational stakeholders' perceptions of access to remote academic advising. Over the past years, traditionally underrepresented student enrollments in distance education at community colleges have increased, yet the retention rate of online students compared to…