Students’ Attitudes Toward Online Learning During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic in Oyo State Universities, South West Nigeria

This study investigates students' attitudes toward online learning as shaped by experiences during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in universities in Oyo State, South West Nigeria. The pandemic compelled a rapid and largely unplanned transition to remote instruction, creating a natural experiment through which students formed lasting attitudes about digital education. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and 300 undergraduate students from the University of Ibadan and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology were sampled through stratified random sampling. A validated 35-item Likert-scale attitude questionnaire covering affective, cognitive, and behavioural dimensions of online learning attitude was administered. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance. Results reveal predominantly neutral to negative attitudes, with students expressing frustration over examination integrity issues, poor feedback from lecturers, and unreliable internet access. Students in science and engineering programmes reported more negative attitudes than those in humanities. Post-pandemic attitudes improved slightly, suggesting a gradual adaptation process. The study recommends that universities in Oyo State develop clearer communication frameworks for online courses, establish student digital support helpdesks, and provide data subsidies to registered students. Keywords: online learning, student attitudes, COVID-19, higher education, Oyo State