Effectiveness of E-Learning among Hospitalized Elementary Students with Chronic Diseases

Abstract

Background: Hospitalization of elementary students with chronic illnesses could limit their engagement in school activities and result in academic failure. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of e-learning on these students' academic performance in mathematics. Methods: This was a pretest-posttest semi-experimental study with control group. The population included all the fifth or sixth-grade elementary school students hospitalized at least once in the school year 2019-2020 in Imam Hussain Pediatric Hospital of Isfahan, Iran. The sample size consisted of 60 students (26 in 5th grade and 34 in 6th grade) who were selected by convenience sampling and divided equally into experimental and control groups. Data gathering tools included two researcher-made mathematical quizzes designed to assess the students' academic achievement in mathematics. Each quiz was about Decimal Numbers as covered in the corresponding grade level. Data were analyzed through an analysis of covariance using SPSS 21 software. Results: In terms of academic achievement, the mean and standard deviation of post-test scores in the experimental groups (8.26±1.22) were higher than in the control group (6.60±1.47). In addition, ANCOVA test results revealed that after the elimination of the pretest effect, the F of the independent variable (59.461) was significant at the confidence level of 99% (P<0.001). Thus, posttest scores of experimental and control groups were significantly different. Conclusion: Given the significant impact of e-learning on the mathematical performance of hospitalized elementary school students, it is recommended to use this approach for hospitalized learners.