PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDE OF DISTANCE LEARNING STUDENTS TOWARDS PHYSICAL INTERACTIVE SESSIONS AND ITS EFFECTS ON THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to assess the perception and attitude of distance learning students towards physical interactive sessions and its effects on their academic performance using the University of Ibadan Distance Learning Centre as a case study. The study was specifically carried out to assess the perception of distance learning students towards physical interactive sessions, examine the attitude of distance learning students towards participation in physical interactive sessions, determine the effect of participation in physical interactive sessions on academic performance, and assess strategies to improve distance learning students’ attitudes towards physical interactive sessions. The study employed the descriptive survey research design. The study population comprised all registered distance learning students of the University of Ibadan Distance Learning Centre from 200 to 500 levels, while a total of 343 respondents were selected as the sample size using the Taro Yamane formula. Out of the 358 questionnaires distributed, 350 were returned and 343 were validated for analysis. The questionnaire was used for data collection, while the data collected were analyzed using frequency tables, mean scores, Chi-square, and ANOVA with the aid of SPSS version 25. From the responses obtained and analyzed, the findings revealed that distance learning students generally have a positive perception of physical interactive sessions with mean scores above the cutoff for enhancing understanding of course content, clarifying difficult topics, and motivating assignment completion. The study also showed that distance learning students exhibited a positive attitude towards participation in physical interactive sessions, as reflected in their willingness to attend sessions, enjoyment of interaction, and active engagement in group activities. Likewise, participation in physical interactive sessions was found to have a significant positive effect on academic performance at F = 15.47, P = .001, enhancing examination scores, assignment submission, and overall grades. Additionally, strategies such as flexible scheduling, provision of adequate learning facilities, improved communication with lecturers, and incorporation of interactive activities were identified as important in improving students’ attitudes towards physical interactive sessions. The study concluded that perception, attitude, and participation in physical interactive sessions each significantly influence academic performance, with active engagement and institutional support playing critical roles. The study therefore recommends that the University of Ibadan Distance Learning Centre should adopt flexible scheduling, ensure adequate resources and facilities, strengthen lecturer-student communication, and implement interactive pedagogical methods to enhance students’ attitudes and maximize the effectiveness of physical interactive sessions.

Keywords: Distance Learning, Physical Interactive Sessions, Academic Performance, Student Attitude, Perception.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Education systems worldwide have experienced deep change in response to technological innovation, socio economic restructuring and changes in learner demographics. The inclusion of digital technology in the delivery of instruction has transformed the pedagogical frameworks and expanded the reach of education beyond geographical boundaries. Ozkara and Ibili (2021) posited that digital learning environments improve participation due to flexibility when dealing with course materials while Lin and Chen (2024) stresses that technology mediated instruction allows for adaptive pacing and diverse teaching strategies. Contemporary higher education is therefore a reflection of the structural reconfiguration towards the blended and distributed models of learning, where the virtual platforms gradually become a complement or substitute of traditional classroom practices. Frikha et al (2024) further argue that modern universities are increasingly integrating online infrastructures into formal systems of instruction. These worldwide changes reflect a growing focus on autonomy, accessibility and interactive technologies as defining features of twenty first century education.

Within this larger transformation, distance learning has become a formal modality in which teaching and learning take place in spite of spatial separation between instructors and learners. It is based on online platforms, multimedia resources, and learning management systems that work in the synchronous and asynchronous format (Tayem et al., 2022). The model is widely characterised by flexibility, learner autonomy and mediated communication. Its effectiveness is not automatic, however. Mejanova et al. (2022) say that the success of distance learning relies largely on how much the student engages and adjusts to the new and virtual environments. Similarly, Arhin et al. (2021) maintain that cognitive engagement, self regulatory competence determines academic outcomes in remote learning contexts to a great extent. In response to the concerns of isolation and lack of interaction, many institutions have introduced physical interactive sessions in the distance programmes. These structured face to face engagements are intended to complement online coursework and to enhance experiential learning and collaborative exchange.

Physical interactive sessions refers to organized face to face academic engagements within the structure of distance learning to facilitate direct interaction between the students and instructors. Such sessions may involve tutorials, workshops, practical demonstrations and assessment requiring physical presence. Takach (2022) claims that interactive learning space encourages conceptual understanding due to the immediate feedback and dialogic interaction. Sharabi and Inbar (2024) similarly state that face to face communication helps in enhancing social presence and academic integration in blended frameworks. The effectiveness of these sessions is closely related to the students' perception and attitude. Perception refers to cognitive interpretation and evaluation of learning experiences while attitude is a learned predisposition to react favorably or unfavorably to a certain instructional mode (Yildiz, 2025). Frikha et al. (2024) establish that positive attitudinal orientations to instructional formats are correlated with increase levels of engagement and better academic performance. Consequently, the evaluative dispositions of students towards physical interactive sessions may have a significant impact on the academic outcomes of students in distance learning programmes.

Academic performance, often expressed in grades, evaluation scores, and exhibited competencies, is a central measure of educational effectiveness. Lin and Chen (2024) highlight that efficiency, both in terms of technology and interpersonal instructional relationships, influence learning outcomes in blended systems. In Nigeria, particularly within the Distance Learning Centre of the University of Ibadan, where distance learning programmes continue to expand, institutions are increasingly integrating physical interactive sessions into remote programmes to reinforce the quality of instruction. Ozkara and Ibili (2021) emphasize that the contextual mediating factors of hybrid model effectiveness are institutional design and learner expectations; and Arhin et al. (2021) point out that evaluative judgment of students in instructional modalities may affect persistence and achievement trajectory. Within the context of the University of Ibadan Distance Learning Centre, systematic investigation into the perception and attitude of distance learning students towards physical interactive sessions becomes important to understand the potential effects of such sessions on the academic performance of the students

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Distance learning is a growing trend in education, especially in contexts where the time, economic, or logistical constraints of the traditional classroom setting may be difficult to overcome. Ozkara and Ibili (2021) explain that this modality is flexible and accessible, as it enables learners to study academic materials remotely without neglecting other obligations. On the same note, Tayem et al. (2022) observe that distance education programmes are ever-growing across the world, and this is an indication of a change in the way learning institutions impart knowledge in the 21st century. Although these benefits exist, the inclusion of hybrid instructional methods, including regular physical interactive lessons, has become an additional method to improve the understanding, cooperation, and acquisition of practical skills in the learners (Frikha et al., 2024). The dynamics of these hybrid models need to be understood in order to maximise their efficacy in the context of modern distance learning.

Although distance learning is flexible, there is concern on the real interaction of the students in the physical interactive sessions and the effect on the performance of the students. Mejanova et al. (2022) underline that cognitive and attitudinal reactions of students to the instructional formats may affect the learning outcomes, yet there is a lack of empirical evidence on the extent to which the physical interactions support or impair the academic performance in remote programmes. Takach (2022) also notes that despite the fact that these sessions are meant to offer students experiential learning opportunities, their effectiveness depends on student participation, perception, and attitude, which are measures or poorly comprehended inconsistently. The existing literature tends to concentrate on the online interaction indicators or overall blended learning results, which creates a large gap in the comprehension of how face-to-face interactions can lead to academic achievement, specifically in the Nigerian learning environment.

Distance learning students in the University of Ibadan Distance Learning Centre are enrolled in programmes where physical interactive sessions are occasionally incorporated, but there is no comprehensive study on the relationship between the perception of the students towards these sessions and their academic performance. Arhin et al. (2021) state that the attitudes and cognitive assessment of the instructional modes by learners can be a significant determinant of achievement results, which implies that positive engagement can lead to improved performance. Yildiz (2025) however observes that the participation and effectiveness of participation may be affected by the local contextual factors, which include infrastructure, institutional support, and cultural attitudes towards in-person engagement. This paper therefore aims to address these gaps by empirically investigating the perceptions and attitudes of distance learning students in the University of Ibadan Distance Learning Centre towards physical interactive sessions and the relationship between these perceptions and the quantifiable academic outcomes, which will offer practical implications to educational planning and instructional design.

1.3 Research Questions:

The following research questions guided this study:

i. What is the perception of distance learning students towards physical interactive sessions?

ii. What is the attitude of distance learning students towards participation in physical interactive sessions?

iii. What is the effect of participation in physical interactive sessions on the academic performance of distance learning students?

iv. What are the strategies to improve distance learning students' attitudes towards physical interactive sessions?

1.4 Objective of the Study

The study's overall purpose is to examine perception and attitude of distance learning students towards physical interactive sessions and its effects on their academic performance. The study, on the other hand, was focused on achieving these precise goals:

1. To assess the perception of distance learning students towards physical interactive sessions.

2. To examine the attitude of distance learning students towards participation in physical interactive sessions.

3. To determine the effect of participation in physical interactive sessions on the academic performance of distance learning students.

4. To assess the strategies to improve distance learning students' attitudes towards physical interactive sessions.

1.5 Research Hypotheses

H₀1: Distance learning students do not have positive attitude towards participation in physical interactive sessions.

H₀2: Participation in physical interactive sessions has no significant effect on the academic performance of distance learning students.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will be useful to the distance learning students as it will offer them some insights into the impact of physical interactive sessions on their performance in school. It will make students realise the importance of being active in such sessions and will instruct them on how to embrace the best strategies to be able to achieve maximum learning results. Students will be in a better position to increase the level of engagement, enhance understanding, and record better academic outcomes by determining factors that influence perception and attitude.

This study will be useful in educational institutions because they will have data-driven information on how to design and implement physical interactive sessions in distance learning programmes. The results will be used in policy and curriculum formulation and the institutions will be able to develop instructional frameworks that maximise student engagement, satisfaction and academic achievement. This may result in better resource distribution and quality of the programmes.

The instructors and facilitators will have a better idea of how the students will perceive and react to face-to-face interactions in remote programmes. The research will assist them in customising the teaching methods, creating interactive methods, and offering specific assistance that meets the attitude and learning preferences of the students, thus improving the effectiveness of instruction.

This will be useful to policy makers and educational planners as they will have empirical evidence to make decisions on distance learning strategies. The research will shed light on ways of enhancing the blended models to ensure that programmes do not only increase access to education but also the high academic standards and meaningful student outcomes.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This study will be aimed at determining the perception and attitude of distance learning students towards physical interactive sessions and how the two affect their performance. The content area is restricted to the opinions of students, their involvement, and the performance results concerning these sessions. Geographically, the study is confined to Distance Learning Centre (DLC) of University of Ibadan.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms.

Academic Performance: Academic performance is gauged by the grades of the students, the test results or other formal assessment results that show the level of performance of the students with regard to courses that have physical interactive sessions.

Attitude: Attitude refers to the acquired inclination of the distance learning students to react positively or negatively to the involvement in the physical interactive sessions, which is a measure of their motivation, interest and willingness to participate.

Distance Learning Students: Refers to students taking programmes in which most of the instruction is provided remotely, with periodic face-to-face sessions to provide an experiential or interactive experience.

Perception: In this study, the word perception will be used to refer to how distance learning students perceive and judge physical interactive sessions such as how they perceive the usefulness, relevance and effectiveness of the physical interactive session in supporting their learning.

Physical Interactive Sessions: These are academic activities that are conducted face-to-face, which include tutorials, workshops, and practical exercises, which are arranged as part of distance learning programmes to enable direct interaction between students and instructors.