The unruly consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak have hamstrung higher education institutions. It also highlighted the importance of digital learning and its influence on student’s academic performance. This study aims to investigate the influence of students’ socio-demographics and their parents’ socioeconomic characteristics on their academic performance during the implementation of the COVID-19 lockdowns using a qualitative approach. In-depth semi-structured interviews with 30 purposively chosen informants were used. The results indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced student learning process and academic performance. It revealed that their sociodemographic characteristics and their parent’s socioeconomic status affected their academic achievements during the COVID-19 outbreak. Students have faced numerous challenges during the implementation of the COVID-19 lockdowns, which influenced their academic performance. Higher education institutions must purchase licensed e-learning tools and provide students and professors with digital skills training in order to enhance their teaching, learning, and academic performance.
Published Date: 2022-11-15; Received Date: 2022-07-20
