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Exploring Instructors' Online Class Attendance, Teaching Behaviours and Assessment Practices During the Emergency Remote Teaching Period in a Ghanaian University

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European Journal of Education

Published online on

Abstract

["European Journal of Education, Volume 61, Issue 2, June 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nThe COVID‐19 pandemic necessitated the rapid implementation of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) across higher education institutions worldwide. While earlier research has examined the associated technological and student‐related challenges, limited attention has been given to instructors' online class attendance, teaching behaviours, and assessment practices during this period. This study explored university students' evaluations of instructors' online attendance, teaching behaviours, and assessment practices at a university in Ghana during the ERT. A large dataset comprising 73,906 course‐level evaluations from 24,726 students was analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed substantial attendance challenges: 44.8% of students reported that lecturers met for less than 70% of the scheduled time, and many arrived significantly late. The study reported strong endorsement of instructional clarity and content‐delivery teaching behaviours, whereas interactive and higher‐order teaching practices received lower ratings. Assessment practices were dominated by term papers and assignments, with delayed grading and limited feedback. Although multiple assessments were often administered, weaknesses in timely, dialogical feedback suggest a diminished formative function. The findings highlight the need to strengthen digital pedagogical training, infrastructure, and assessment literacy to sustain both instructional continuity and meaningful engagement in future emergency contexts.\n"]