HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS PERCEPTION ABOUT ONLINE CLASSES DURING PANDEMIC WITH REFERENCE TO SELECTED SCHOOLS IN TIRUCHIRAPPALLI CITY

The Education system is changing rapidly with all schools preferring online learning platforms to enhance the students learning experience. Majority of the educational institution continued their online classes immediately realising the situation. This study was undertaken to know the students perception about the online classes for during COVID -19 pandemic in Tiruchirapalli city. Primary and Secondary data collected from respondents will be divided into independent variables and dependent variables. These independent variables are conceptualized by using a set of 5-point Likert scale statements to measure the students perception about online classes. Both the variables are supported by students perception about online classes. The online classes became the new normal for most school and college students, the cost of data has been another digital obstacle to surmount even for those with access to smartphones and internet connectivity. The government must introduce policies or an ordinance ensuring universal access to the internet for students stemming from which more systemic support could be offered.

The Education system is changing rapidly with all schools preferring online learning platforms to enhance the students learning experience. Majority of the educational institution continued their online classes immediately realising the situation. This study was undertaken to know the students perception about the online classes for during COVID -19 pandemic in Tiruchirapalli city. Primary and Secondary data collected from respondents will be divided into independent variables and dependent variables. These independent variables are conceptualized by using a set of 5-point Likert scale statements to measure the students perception about online classes. Both the variables are supported by students perception about online classes. The online classes became the new normal for most school and college students, the cost of data has been another digital obstacle to surmount even for those with access to smartphones and internet connectivity. The government must introduce policies or an ordinance ensuring universal access to the internet for students stemming from which more systemic support could be offered.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….... Introduction:-
Online Education is the thing that was barely used by any educational institution has become a big part of every student's life today. Since 2020, most universities and schools in India have switched over to online learning for safety reasons. The education system is changing rapidly with all schools preferring online learning platforms to enhance the students learning experience. Majority of the educational institution continued their online classes immediately realising the situation. Since the start of lockdown, the management and staff of the majority of schools are working diligently to provide the same quality of education in online classes as the kids received in the physical classroom. The Schools are organizing and streaming the curriculum and channelizing it every day. The Schools ensures the complete safety of the students, with the online classes planning to continue until the schools are safe to reopen through online classes. With the help of communication technology and increased internet connectivity, it has given rise to hope for students to improving individual learning experience.
The Same teachers those who handled the physical classrooms are handling the online classes. This guarantees a smooth transition from offline to online classes and vice versa for the students. The classes are personalized in terms of space, content and time of the students. The students can decide what to learn and how to learn in their own time. The schools designed the web portals in such a way so that they can be easily used by the students.

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Although it is unavoidable due to the ongoing pandemic, online classes are slowly but surely progressing on a path to become a permanent part of education. Quite a few international schools, with their global structure, provide kids with the chance to network with peers from the other side of the world. Online classes will soon become a medium for exchanging culture and knowledge across continents. The Schools will always motivate students to reap all the benefits of the growing technology.
Studies show that students do better with their learning when the parents are involved in their education. In an online learning environment, parents act as instructors for their e-learning experience. They ensure that their assignments and coursework are completed in a timely manner. Practically, some parents are providing support and encouragement to their children.

Benefits Of Online Learning Accessibility
Learning and teaching can be done at home with the help of digital gadgets like Android phones, tablets or laptops. With the help of online learning, time can be saved and can also focus on other productive activities. It also allows students to choose new topics they want to learn and skip the familiar ones.

Resilience
Online learning helps students to become more focused and attentive in meeting their targets. The teachers help to embrace real situations through video, chats, communication and interaction for better learning outcomes.

Gratification
School students are more interested in learning with fun activities. They are able to learn more effectively with online classes which have more interesting features, videos, images, documentaries etc. Due to advanced technology, everyone is aware of the digital world and its applications. Whenever you want to study or refer to any study material, online learning can be more effective.

Availability of Resources
Online learning platforms have abundant study materials. The students can watch multiple documentaries, videos, chapters and units for all the classes. The students just need to type the content you are looking for in the search engine. The students can extract information on any topic for learning. Parents can help their children in case of any queries or doubts related to their curriculum at home.

Assessment
The learning platforms help the students to learn for their tests, practicals, assignments, projects and exams. We cannot compare traditional and online learning as both are good at their own way. Instead the students should focus on getting benefits from available learning sources.
Review of Literature ASN Agung, MW Surtikanti (2020), The pandemic of COVID-19 has forced the Indonesian government through its Ministry of Education and Culture to implement policies moving conventional classroom to online classroom. The current study is a collective case study consisting of analysis of survey on students' perceptions of their online learning during the pandemic. Sixty-six students of English Language Education Study Program at Pamane Talino College of Education (STKIP PamaneTaslino) were involved.
Kuhfeld and Tarrasa (2020), It is therefore important for education policy-makers to understand which factors have prevented certain children from receiving sufficient instruction -among them, in addition to the lack of infrastructure, the absence of adequate preparation in schools and among teachers, as well as, in some cases, the lack of curriculum guidelines. These elements have also determined a great variation, across schools and countries, in the quality of online learning, raising the concern that disparities in educational outcomes across socioeconomic groups may be reinforced in the absence of corrective measures.

Scope of the Study
This study was undertaken to know the students perception about the online classes for during COVID -19 pandemic in Tiruchirapalli city. Through online classes students are able to understand the concepts and the difficulties faced by them likewise our project is to examine the student's perception about their online classes.

Statement of the problem
The unexpected and forced transition from face to face classes to online classes has entitled a number of challenges for both students and teachers. While logistically sound, taking too many online courses or having poor online instruction can be harmful to a student's future. In teacher -centered ,or passive learning , the instructor usually controls classroom dynamics .The Teacher lectures and comments, while students listen, take notes and ask questions. In student -centered, or active learning, the students usually determine classroom dynamics as they independently The purpose of this research is to examine the study of 12 th student's perception about the online classes during COVID -19 pandemic. The study mainly focused on addressing whether students are able to understand the classes through online or it is difficult for them.

Objectives of the study:-
1. To understand the students perception about the online classes during COVID -19 pandemic. 2. To know the students understanding level by studying through the online classes. 3. To know whether the online classes are helpful to 12 th students to score good marks during their public examination.

Research Framework
Methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It may understood as a science of studying how research is done scientifically. It includes the overall research design sampling procedure, data collection method and analytical procedure. This study is based on primary data and secondary data.

Research Design
Descriptive research design is used in this study. This method is used to describe characteristics of a population or phenomenon being studied. The characteristics used to describe the situation are usually some kind of categorical scheme also known as descriptive categories. It can be quantitative and qualitative

Sample Design
Simple Random Sampling method was selected for the study. For the study, we have selected 5 Government and 5 private higher secondary schools in Tiruchirappalli City. From each school we have selected 25 students studying 12 th standard based on our convenience. The sample size selected for the study is 250 students. The area taken for the study is Tiruchirapalli city.

Data and Sample
Primary Data have been collected from the 250 higher secondary students in Tiruchirappalli city through the structured Questionnarie. Secondary data have been collected from Books, Magazines, Websites and various Journal Publications.

Measurements
Primary and Secondary data collected from respondents will be divided into independent variables and dependent variables. These independent variables are conceptualised by using a set of 5-point Likert scale statements to measure the students perception about online classes. Both the variables are supported by students perception about online classes. The researcher has made accurate use of concepts and precisely described as per the objectives framed for research activity.

Statistical tools -Analysis of Variance
The Analysis of Variance, popularly known as ANOVA, is a very useful tool for testing the equality of more than two means of populations. ANOVA is used because the technique involves first finding out the total variation among the observations in the collected data, then assigning causes or components of variation to various factors and finally drawing conclusions about the equality of means. It is also used to test the significance of a regression equation are all equal to 0. Findings 1. Majority of the students revealed that they have used Smartphone to attend the online classes and the mode of online teaching used in their schools is, by sending the video lessons in whatsapp group. 2. Majority of the students are comfortable with using online learning tools during pandemic period and parents sometimes support them during online classes. 3. Majority of the students are neither convenient nor inconvenient with the time schedule of their online classes and they agree that they like online classes more than classroom learning. 4. Majority of the students are agree that communication with teachers and the classmates are more easier in online classes and they agree that teachers are very supportive during online classes. 5. Majority of the students are agree that teachers were prepared well for online classes and they are able to understand the concepts easily during online classes.

Analysis and Interpretation
Suggestion:-

1.
Teachers can give more videos, give more examples and use better technology and they must provide more interesting assignments to encourage the students to do the assignments effectively.

2.
Teachers should interact more with the students to make the classes more interesting and they can also use several interesting tools which can be used to make online learning engaging.

3.
Teachers should review the lesson plan and content in place, they must engage well with students and also understand the students engagement in the classes. 4.
The schools must take measures to give feedback forms to the students at the end of the session to record their views on the class and to give suggestions.

Conclusion:-
The online classes became the new normal for most school and college students, the cost of data has been another digital obstacle to surmount even for those with access to smartphones and internet connectivity. Since lockdowns may be introduced again in the future until effective vaccines or therapeutics become available, it is of utmost importance for governments to reflect on the main difficulties that students, parents, teachers and schools principals have encountered in adapting to this phase of online learning and intervene to better harness the potential of online learning. However, not all students would fall within its purview and the law would have to be amended. Instead, experts suggested that the state government introduce policies or an ordinance ensuring universal access to the internet for students stemming from which more systemic support could be offered.