EFFECT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

1.1 Introduction

The infection known as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by a new strain of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Examples of viral infections similar to SARS-CoV-2 include the new severe acute respiratory syndrome and the Middle East respiratory sickness, which were identified in 2002 and 2012, respectively. According to Zhong et al. (2020), SARS-CoV-2 has a wider spectrum than previous virus-related information, which contributes to the lack of clarity surrounding the treatment and handling of COVID-19.

This chapter will address the background information that motivated this study, the challenges that prompted it, its aim, and its objectives as a preface to subsequent sections of the study. Additional factors include the study's significance, scope, limitations, research questions and hypotheses, and the definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

The global economy has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic from its onset in China in 2019 (Ogunode, N.J., Ndubisi, A.G., and Terfa, A.C, 2021). The corona virus family, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO 2020), is responsible for a variety of ailments, from the common cold to more serious conditions including the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Originally, these viruses spread from animals to humans. For example, humans contracted SARS from civet cats, but humans contracted MERS from a particular kind of camel. There are a number of recognized corona viruses that are active in animals but have not yet infected people. Corona, which means crown or halo in Latin, is where the name "corona virus" originates. This seems to be encircled by a solar corona when viewed under an electron microscope. The new strain of corona virus, known as SARS-CoV-2, was discovered on January 7 by Chinese officials and was not previously detected in people (Wikipedia, 2020).

Global disparities in the education sector were widened by the current coronavirus pandemic epidemic (Onyema, E.M., Eucheria, N.C., Obafemi, F.A., et al., 2020). The global coronavirus pandemic, known as COVID-19, has affected not only public health, society, and the economy overall during the past year, but it has also severely disrupted the academic calendar (Ogunode N.J., Ndubisi, A.G., and Terfa, A.C., 2021). The effects of the coronavirus pandemic are widespread and swift. It knows no bounds. Within a few months of the disease's emergence, billions of people were obliged to "stay at home," "observe self-isolations," and work and learn from home, significantly altering lifestyles around the globe (Onyema E.M, Eucheria, N.C., Obafemi, F.Aet al, 2020). It has limited the freedom of students to move, practicalize and learn physically.

The most effective public policy instrument for fostering the development of skills and potential is education; school time may be enjoyable; and from an economic perspective, the main benefit of education is that it improves a child's chances of growing up to be a contributing member of society. The effects of even brief schooling last a child's entire life; even a brief absence can have long-term effects on future skill development. The impact of the COVID-19 disruption on learning is therefore impossible to predict; we can only see the outward manifestation of the effects; the slow deterioration of innate talents may not be readily or accurately detected (Samuel, A.I. 2020). The world people live in now is very different from the one we knew in the past. The timetables and calendars for the schools have changed, and when classes resumed following the lockdown, a lot of groundwork had to be done before Nigeria's educational system could match that of the rest of the globe. During a lockdown, school facilities are underutilized; some may even sustain damage from being abandoned for an extended length of time.

According to Kemdikbud (2020), Minister of Education and Culture Circular Letter Number 3 of 2020 concerning Prevention of COVID-19 in the Education Unit is a policy that was released by the Ministry of Education and Culture. It states that in order to prevent the number of cases of COVID-19 from rising, the traditional classroom learning process must be converted to online learning, along with the infrastructure that makes this possible, such as reliable networks and signals. Students' work are evaluated qualitatively by evaluating several characteristics, not all of which need to be rated quantitatively (Kemdikbud, 2020).

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Effect of Covid-19 Pandemic on Educational Development.

1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that colleges are having difficulties carrying out their core duties of teaching, research, and community service in the middle of the COVID-19 epidemic. Exams, admissions, workshops, conferences, university graduation ceremonies, and training programmes were all disrupted by the pandemic. Over 70% of the world's population has suffered because of school and university closures, claim Abode et al. (2020). Due to the school closure policy, students who were previously enrolled in the school are no longer enrolled.

Notwithstanding its immediate impact on education, the rapid spread of the coronavirus exacerbated already-existing educational disparities in schools, disproportionately affecting pupils from underprivileged and vulnerable backgrounds. The institution administration has an obligation to implement measures that guarantee continuity, inclusion, and equity for all students throughout this epidemic in order to prevent the already expanding gaps in education from getting worse. All campus events, including graduation ceremonies, workshops, conferences, intramural and intercollegiate sports, and other activities, have been either postponed or cancelled by higher education institutions, according to evidence. Academic calendars at higher education institutions were also suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is no doubt that students were held for a time in detention. This affects the institutions' capacity to run their academic divisions effectively. The goal of this study is to show how online learning and instruction have affected students' academic careers.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to investigate the Effect of Covid-19 Pandemic on Educational Development in Nigeria. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To identify the challenges students faced during Covid-19 in online learning during Covid-19 Pandemic;
2. To identify the challenges students faced during Covid-19 in online learning; and
3. To determine how impactful online teaching and learning was on the education of students during Covid-19 Pandemic.

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Does online teaching and learning positively impact students’ education during Covid-19 Pandemic?
• What are the challenges faced by students during Covid-19 in online education?
• How did online learning affect the academic performance of the students during COVID-19 Pandemic?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: There are no significant challenges faced by students during Covid-19 in online education in Nigeria
• H1: There are significant challenges faced by students during Covid-19 in online education in Nigeria

1.7 Significance of Study

The results of this study will contribute to ensuring that the academic schedule is finished by the due date using online education media during Covid-19. The infectious disease has shown us that we need to make short-, medium-, and long-term modifications in order to continue doing our everyday responsibilities in the same way as previously.

Also, online education is a potential pandemic contingency plan in place of traditional teaching and learning techniques. Understanding how to use internet-supported software, audio, video, and text communication, as well as the experience of teaching information through a range of media pictures, videos, online communication, and other media that support online learning are all regarded as components of online learning.

Furthermore, this study would be beneficial to both universities as it would make them aware of the impact that online learning and instruction had on their students' academic performance. It would be helpful since they would know where to concentrate their efforts to improve online teaching and learning to help students and solve the issues that most of them face.

Finally, researchers will greatly benefit from this study, and non-researchers might utilize it to further their own research endeavours. This work advances knowledge and may function as a model for future research.

1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of this research is focused on the Effect of Covid-19 Pandemic on Educational Development in Nigeria. The study utilizes Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State as a case study.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint:The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Establishment Policies:Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
3. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
4. Initial Cooperation Delay from Respondents: A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.

1.10 Definition of Terms

Covid-19:

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infection which is as a result of a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus.

Education:

It is the process of giving systematic instruction especially at a school or university.

Impact:

It is a marked effect or influence.

E-Learning / Online Learning:

Online learning is defined as the experience of transferring knowledge through various media such as images, videos, online communication and other media that support online learning and also the knowledge of using video, audio, images, text communication and software supported by internet networks.