2324 | Investigating English Online Learning Implementation During Pandemic: Higher Education Students’ Perception (Bq

ABSTRACT


INTRODUCTION
The importance of language in human life cannot be overstated. Language is a tool that might be employed in daily lives. Language will be used to communicate people's thoughts, feelings, and desires. English is extremely significant in Indonesia since it is employed as a language of instruction not only in business but also in education. According to Morrow (2011), studying English at school can help students if the objective and the method employed are appropriate for the students' age. If the lecturer's directions are consistent, the students will have no trouble understanding English.
The Indonesian government has understood that English is critical for a country's growth, particularly in terms of human resources development. As a result, the World Health Organization (2020) claims that the Indonesian government issued the rule of law no. 20 on the national education system in 2003 and government regulation no. 19 on its national education standard in 2005 as a government policy aimed at all aspects of education in Indonesia.
Early in 2020, the corona or covid-19 virus pandemic, which swept the globe including Indonesia, is wreaking havoc on all human activity sectors including education. Corona virus disease (covid-19) is a fatal virus that arose in the Chinese city of Wuhan and first surfaced in December 2019. The virus has been linked to the production of sars-cov-2 diseases found in China's wildlife market. Since its inception, this virus has grown rapidly throughout China, ultimately spreading around the world (World Health Organization, 2020). Humans are infected by the virus by droplets, drooling, and coughing. Human interaction, ranging from daily activities to gatherings, occurs without regard for distance or physical distance, putting the entire human activity at risk.
The pandemic of Covid-19 encourages lecturers to teach from home and students to study from home, making online learning a new option; the emergence of new learning behavior changes has a wide impact on various aspects of campus life, such as the shift in work system in which lecturers must carry out learning processes from face to face to online. This phenomenon is difficult for lecturers and students to accept since they are not prepared to adjust to the digital environment, but it is unavoidable. During the Covid-19 epidemic, online learning has emerged as a new trend and is considered to be the most relevant approach in today's teaching learning process, where individuals are advised to use social distance and avoid crowds as a tactic for limiting the virus's spread (Mardiah, 2020).
Online learning is a sort of distance learning in which students and lecturers do not meet in a typical classroom environment and instead use the internet as their primary medium of communication (Stern, 2018;Jamil &Hamre, 2018). It is a method of teaching that allows people to learn regardless of their location, time, or other constraints (Blake, 2011;Tarone, 2015). Online learning is a low cost and convenient for learners to access it anywhere and anytime. Through online activities, learners have the autonomy to learn at their needs and wants (Hurlbut, 2018).
People's behavior has altered as a result of the epidemic, including WFH (Work from Home). Everything is virtual now, from transportation mode selection to access control. Technology, which was previously only employed as a supplementary work support, has now become a major work facility. This has an influence on the education sector as well; for example, professors and students will become accustomed to interacting via distant learning. This abrupt transition makes it difficult for educators to enhance their skills in using technology for distance teaching and learning in a short period of time. Distance learning has become simpler due to rapid technological advancements (Mcbrien et al, 2009). Students may study more flexibly, in any setting, without being constrained by space or time. Higher educational institutions recognize the need of online learning in order to compete with other organizations, improve students' learning experiences, and improve learning results (Stefanovic et al., 2011).
Learning innovation via the use of online media is essential to keep the learning process moving forward, with educators being obliged to provide dynamic and engaging online learning media. Because it involves new habits for lecturers and students in implementing the distance learning model, which has become the biggest challenge for academics who are still not used to using blended learning or completely online learning, online learning is still trying to find an appropriate pattern in responding to the challenges of education life development during this pandemic.
There have been a few past research on the subject of online learning. (Anwar & Wahid, 2021) investigated the learners' perception on online learning implementation during covid-19 pandemic. The findings revealed that students had a favourable attitude toward online learning in general, and that using online learning to obtain knowledge during a pandemic is a cost-effective and efficient method of doing so. Another research was conducted by (Adnan, 2020) about the higher education perspectives on online learning in Pakistan, he stated that online learning cannot create expected result in under developed students because they cannot access the internet. Students, on the contrary, are eager in adopting online learning that can be accessed flexibly, anytime, and anywhere, and their attitudes on online learning have a favourable influence during the COVID-19 pandemic (Sujarwo et al., 2020). Because it prevents students from leaving the house, online learning is effective in assisting the government in reducing the spread of Covid-19. The main point is that educators should use a variety of strategies to improve the quality of online learning so that teaching and learning activities can run smoothly (Yulia, 2020) Some previous studies above have concluded that online learning is beneficial to students because it can help them become more independent and creative, but others have concluded that the implementation of online learning is still inefficient and ineffective, particularly for those who live in rural areas and have difficulty using technology. Based on the description above the researcher should conduct a study to learn about students' perceptions of English online learning during the Covid-19 epidemic, as well as the supportive elements and limits that they faced while studying online.

RESEARCH METHOD Research Design
The main goal of this study is to investigate the perceptions of higher education students on the use of online learning in English classrooms during the COVID-19 epidemic. The descriptive qualitative approach was utilized in this study to get a comprehensive and in-depth investigation of respondents' perception. Respondents' perceptions on the implementation of online learning were gathered through questionnaires and interviews.

Population and Sample
The population of this research was all the students of second semester of STIE AMM Mataram in the program study of management in the 2020/2021 academic year, with a total of 80 students. Focusing on English subject while online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. The researcher selected all the population became the sample of this study. Thus, the total of population became the representatives' students and filled the questionnaires Instruments Related to the research problems, the instruments for the data collection that the researcher used in this study was questionnaires in the form of Google form. The type of questionnaires was close-ended questionnaires. Then, the students' perceptions are scored using a Likert Scale. Students' perception is deemed to be positive if the majority of answers are strongly agree, and negative if the majority of answers are strongly disagree. The data from each item is sorted based on the dynamics of online learning such as: 1) teaching material, 2) learning environment, and 3) student's interaction.

Data Analysis
There were several steps in analysing the data. Firstly, the researcher ranked the data of the respondents based on the questionnaire. After that, the information gathered is incorporated into the research table. Then, the researcher divides the responses which categorized into: highly agree, agree, disagree, and strongly disagree. The objective of using scale classification in this study is to determine if respondents agree or disagree with the item in the questionnaire.

FINDING AND DISCUSSION
After conducting the survey through questionnaires which has 20 questions based on the indicators about higher students' education perception of English online learning implementation during pandemic. The 20 questions item were divided into three major categories such as teaching material, learning environment, and students' interaction. The results of the questionnaires are presented in further detail. Table 1 illustrates the results of the questionnaire data on teaching materials in the implementation of online learning gathered from participants.  Table 2 illustrates the results of the questionnaire data on learning environment in the implementation of online learning gathered from participants.  Table 3 illustrates the results of the questionnaire data on students' interaction in the implementation of online learning gathered from participants

DISCUSSION
Using technology to communicate the aim of education is not a new concept in education. Universities must learn from the epidemic and begin to invest in human resources and technology. Only by maximizing all aspects of distance learning, online learning can be made enjoyable and successful. The results of this study revealed a favourable perception toward online learning in general. Students through closed-ended question mostly showed satisfaction regarding teaching material, learning environments, and students' interaction.
This study see some aspects in online learning carried out by EFL lecturers such as parts of teaching material, learning environments, students' interaction, lecturers' roles and involvement and students' participation in online learning. These sections might be developed one by one in accordance with the findings.

Teaching Material
As a source of study in learning, teaching materials play a significant part in the learning process. The lecturers' function in explaining English subject through online learning whether it is good or bad, according to items linked to dimension of teaching material, with a rate of 52.9 percent agreeing with the questionnaire, the data acquired in the questionnaire revealed the highest frequency. According to (Emda, 2018), to ensure that students grasp the learning content and that goal learning is attained, lecturers must deliver excellent instruction, establish a learning environment, and employ creative and innovative learning tools. It can be determined that the delivery of information by lecturers in learning English through online learning during the covid-19 epidemic was ideal, based to students' perspectives. This happened because it can be easier to find creative and innovative learning tool in many sources on the internet in this digital era. Several application or online websites offer many sources of learning tool for the lecturers to teach English.
Another positive feedback from the students is from the category of whether the assignment that is given by the lecturers will be evaluated if there are errors. In this point, the higher frequency showed a percentage of 58.8 percent. (Huang et al, 2020) in online learning, students may not only interact directly with the learning information they find, but they can also choose to order, guide, and assess their learning with the aid of a lecturer.
The next is about conditions that are conducive to online learning are when the lecturer delivers the material. The data from the survey revealed that the highest frequency with a percentage of 58.8 percent agree with the question was achieved. During the online learning, the students pay attention and focus on what the lecturers explained. Although, there are also some students who disagree with the percentage of 3.4 percent. The condition of online learning sometimes might be disturbed by the low signal that received by the students in rural area, so that when the online learning was conducting, there are some students that accidentally left the meeting.
This aspect is related to the next question in the questionnaire about whether the online learning process is effective during the pandemic. This aspect gets 47.1 percent of students' agreement, through online learning the students are able to get the information anytime. One effort that can be made to overcome difficulties and make it easier for students to access learning material is to adopt an online learning system. Students may learn whenever and wherever they choose, and they can access material at any time.
On the other hand, the 17.6 percent of them are disagree. One of the factors that leads to ineffective communication throughout the learning process is a poor internet connection. Students believe that communicating with lecturers online is less successful, resulting in lower motivation and understanding. According to Tudor et al, in Anwar & Wahid (2015), social interactions between professors and students, as well as a supportive learning environment that improves students' self-confidence, are critical factors in the positive dynamics of online learning. The last is about the learning schedule. Even if it was done online during the covid-19 epidemic, the English study schedule is quite helpful. The largest percentage of students agree with the question, with 53.8 percent agreeing. Online learning is intended to supplement rather than replace traditional education. Students can still study at home using online learning.

Learning Environment
One of the aspects that might assist students in reaching better learning outcomes is the learning environment. This question inquired about what you want to investigate regarding the learning material utilized by the instructor during the covid-19 epidemic, which is connected to dimension of atmosphere or learning environment.
The data obtained in the questionnaire showed the highest frequency with a frequency with a percentage of 52.3 % agree with the question. They agree to follow the lessons and media used by the lecturer. The highest frequency of agree also reached by the following question related to what you are diligent in working on the English assignments given by the lecturer through online learning during the covid-19 pandemic. It showed a percentage of 64,7% agree with the question. Some of them are dedicated to completing the lecturer's work since they can discuss it with their friends and also, they have time to look for better answer in many resources they can have especially in the internet that can offer many applications tool to learn and it can bee accessed anytime. As in line with Anderson in Rahayu and Wirza (2020) that students may utilize the internet to acquire up-to-date and relevant learning resources and interact with experts in the topic they are studying at any time.
The next two question is about they continue to learn English even though there are no assignments and they are motivated and excited to learn English through online learning. These two questions got the highest score of 62.6 % and 47,1 %. This showed that the students are motivated and excited to learn English through online learning because it can do anywhere and it is more effective. As Sudirman (2012) said that Online learning is a new invention that has made a significant contribution to the fight against change in the learning process, where students do more than simply listen to the lecturer's exposition of the topic; they also see, do, and demonstrate.
The next is about online learning English can train in managing time. The data obtained in the questionnaire showed the percentage of 47,1% agree with the question. Sun et al. (2008) stated Student satisfaction with learning is influenced by the flexibility of time, location, and online learning technique. Students may learn to manage their time through online learning. As in line with Marc (2007) in his book review mentioned about the one of the advantages of online learning is flexible in time and place, provide opportunities for relations between learners.
The next is about online learning teaches honesty in doing assignments from the lecturer. In the questionnaire showed the highest frequency with a frequency with a percentage of 58,8 %agree with the question. Because lecturers frequently provide tests with a set time limit for responding them, online learning can encourage honesty in accomplishing assignments. Then the next question asked about what the student felt bored while online learning English. Online learning English is not boring. The data showed the highest frequency with a frequency with a percentage of 70,3 % are agreed. But some of the students with 3,3% said that the online learning is boring because they only listen explanation from lecturers in front of zoom screen. In an online class, it is less intriguing and makes people less enthusiastic. Laili & Nashir (2021) in their research said that poor student participation occurred because it is sometimes difficult for them to focus on the zoom meeting screen when the lecturer is explaining something, especially when they are not in a conducive environment with many distractions such as noise from a motorcycle, his or her younger sibling crying, and people in the house screaming.
The last question related to atmosphere or learning environment is about taking English lessons online more actively in order to get good grades. In the questionnaire showed the highest frequency with a frequency with a percentage of 52,9 % agree with the question. According to Andriani & Rasto (2019), An attitude of obedience in the learning process activities, both in terms of creating a study schedule and initiative to put up significant effort in learning, is defined as interest in learning. Students appear to be engaged in online learning during the Covid-19 epidemic, based on some of their questions on the ambiance or learning environment.

Students' Interaction
Students' interaction plays a vital influence in achieving improved learning results. Items relating to the dimension of student engagement include asking the student if their English abilities improved throughout online learning. The data revealed that the highest frequency with a percentage of 52.3 percent agree with the question. Andriani & Rasto (2019) claimed that learning interest also has indicators such as a readiness to learn and a desire to do so, active involvement, a strong ability to pay attention and concentrate, a positive desire to learn that grows with time, comfort while learning, and an internal capacity to make judgments about the learning process are all characteristics that may be found in active participants.
The next question is about whether the lecturer conducts question and answer activities about English material in learning through online learning. In the questionnaire, showed the highest frequency with a percentage of 50,9 % agree with the question. Riyanda et al. (2020) explained that communication and discussion are two things that may be conducted when studying online. Online learning does not limit lecturer-student contact; students can ask and answer questions if they are having trouble grasping the topic. The next question is about whether the lecturer provides motivation before online learning English. The data obtained showed the highest frequency with a frequency with a percentage of 58,5 agree with the question.
The next question is the lecturer explains the purpose of learning English which is given online. In the questionnaire showed the highest frequency with a percentage of 62,71% agree with the question. There are no students who disagree with the question. Explaining the purpose of learning English or the topic that will be discussed might be an important thing to do in the beginning of the class in order to engage the students to learn and feel motivated to know more in the learning process. It is also the way for the lecturer to communicate to the students of what they will do next. As in line with Thompson (2010), communication is one of the most important aspects of an effective online course. And also Savenye in Rahayu & Wirza (2020) stated that engagement and communication are important aspects in achieving online learning success that increased the satisfaction and motivation of the students to learn through online learning.
The high frequency also showed in the next question that is about the lecturer provides examples of the material in the form of picture or video with a percentage of 58,8 % with no negatives perspective or disagree with the question. The material presentation in the form of picture and video can build the students' motivation and engage them to interact more in the learning process. This is able to make them comprehend the material easier than just giving them the explanation. In line with Lange & Costley (2020) learners are able to process information acquired via both visual and aural channels when media is used is in the form of video or picture. Mayer (2014) also stated that the use of media in video or picture is perhaps the most important part since it allows for most types of education and learner engagement, and e-learning would not be feasible without it. It has an impact on how students perceive lectures and, as a result, how they absorb material provided to them cognitively.
The last question related to student interaction asked about are the students ask the lecturer when having difficulty learning English through online learning. In the questionnaire showed the highest frequency with 51,4 % are agree with the question. Sun et al. (2008) stated that There are no physical barriers, and the constraints of geography and time make communication simpler for students. While in online learning, students feel more at ease to ask questions and share their thoughts.

CONCLUSION
The research result indicated that students' perceptions towards online learning implementation are various both positive and negative, in terms of the teaching materials, learning environment, and student interaction. The desire for development and motivation in studying English was expressed by the students. It can be concluded that the important factors in conducting online learning are the capability of lecturers in delivering the teaching material in accordance with the textbook, not only delivering it but also the lecturers evaluated the assignment that given to the students, the learning environment that can make the students are motivated to learn even though in the pandemic situation and the students' interaction that will keep them to be always engaged to learn both individually and together in a group.