‘As long as I’m at home, I don’t feel like studying or paying attention in lectures”: difficulties and challenges of distance learning among Palestinian-Arab students in Israel during COVID-19

This article examines the emergency remote learning (ERL) experiences of Palestinian-Arab college students in Israel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some studies argue that DL promotes independence and student motivation and enables students from disadvantaged groups to participate in higher education (HE) while tending to social and economic responsibilities. However, the findings in this article from the qualitative research, based on interviews conducted with Palestinian-Arab students in Israel (n = 27), describe difficulties and challenges of ERL, including communication obstacles, lack of suitable learning environments, and an inability to combine familial commitments with academic responsibilities. The findings also reveal how DL exacerbates existing difficulties such as low learning self-efficacy and self-esteem.