Hidden curriculum versus transition from onsite to online: A review following COVID-19 pandemic outbreak

Abstract Curriculum is pivotal in any learning environment and experience. While much focus is placed on the designed curriculum, for learners, some learnings are hinged on hidden curriculum. Following the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic, and the transition from onsite to online learning, hidden curriculum seems to have been hampered. Hence, issues revolving around hidden curriculum during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic are explored. Review method was adopted for the study. The findings of the study suggest that hidden curriculum is likely to be ineffective as learners are not exposed to their educators in face-to-face learning context where they are able to easily pick and imbibe certain character traits as envisaged in the traditional teaching and learning exercise. The study therefore recommends amongst others the need for minimal time to be scheduled for face-to-face contact sections. Also, educators should be admonished, trained and guided to be intentional about the issue of learners imbibing certain character traits from them during the minimal time scheduled for the face-to-face contact sections.


Introduction
Education system has changed with the current practices following the advent of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, postdigital education is to be considered. Such consideration is based on the notion of Fawns (2019) who explains postdigital education as one which takes into consideration the digital and non-digital, material and social, and both in terms of the design of educational activities and in the practices that unfold in the doing of activities. In congruence, Feenberg (2019) holds the view that postdigital education should be used to imply integrating and imbricating (overlapping) the digital with the daily actions and interactions of humans and is therefore recommended. Meanwhile, with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic changing education practices, Li and Lalani (2020) opine that "The COVID-19 pandemic has changed education forever". According to Li and Lalani (2020) reporting for The World Economic Forum further adds that drastic change has occurred in education following the distinctive increase of e-learning, where teaching and learning activities are remotely undertaken on various digital platforms. COVID-19 pandemic has led to an abrupt shift from onsite teaching and learning to online (Bozkurt & Sharma, 2020;Zalat et al., 2021). The abrupt transition from onsite to online learning in many institutions of learning regardless of the levels, following the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic, tends to have affected certain forms of learning in several ways. For instance, learning in schools is not always about the academic activities which learners are exposed to and made to master. Learning also entails the moulding of characters, adjusting of beliefs and ways of life of learners. Learning in this regard is not only about what is taught by educators, but it also involves traits imbibed by learners. For instance, in the teaching and learning environment, learners tend to appreciate certain traits of some educators either with or without their knowledge. These traits could be in the educators' mode of speaking, walking, gestures, teaching, dressing, posture in or outside the classroom, and relating with other people, amongst others. In most instances, except when told, educators are not usually aware of how and why learners appreciate and try to imbibe such traits. On the other hand, with the dimension of learning in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era, disruptive trends and technologies are expected to continuously change the way and manner in which humans relate with one another (Uleanya, 2020), carry out their works, and live their lives (Ab Rahman et al., 2017;Uleanya & Yu, 2019). According to Ab Rahman et al. (2017) and Uleanya and Yu (2019), examples of such disruptive technologies and trends are robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI). This implies that some of the learnings that may occur in certain teaching and learning environment can be affected in different ways. Meanwhile, following the submissions from the World Economic Forum (WEF; 2018) as well as the work by Uleanya and Yu (2019), many underdeveloped and developing countries of the world which are predominantly African nations are yet unprepared for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). This includes preparation in different sectors such as economy, technology, politics, and education, amongst others. However, the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic tends to have exposed many education systems across the global world regardless of their preparedness to abruptly embrace some of the expected education practices in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Amongst such expected education practices is the transition from onsite to online learning.
On the other hand, deliberately designed, planned and implemented curriculum is expected to guide teaching and learning activities in schools and ensures the empowerment of learners (Uleanya et al., 2018). However, the hidden type of curriculum tends to perform certain crucial functions in the teaching and learning spaces (Alsubaie, 2015). Alsubaie (2015) further posits that following current trends, hidden curriculum remains part of the controversial issues ongoing in curricular matters. Meanwhile, with the advent of disruptive technologies and trends in the education system following the transition from onsite to online learning, the hidden curriculum is envisaged to be inactive and ineffective. Hence, the issue of learners imbibing certain traits during teaching and learning activities as the case is in face-to-face contacts becomes questionable. Yet learning in schools remains incomplete without building of character traits which sometimes come from hidden curriculum. Thus, the need for this study which explores issues revolving around hidden curriculum in the transition from onsite to online teaching and learning exercises following the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the use of certain terminologies in this study, there is a need for clarification and conceptualisation. Hence, the following identified concepts are conceptualised, especially following their importance in the study; Allen (2017) opines that conceptualisation of terms in a study is crucial as it enables researchers and readers to distinctly identify the utilization of terminologies, especially for those that can be used interchangeably in certain scenarios. Masouleh (2015) views hidden curriculum as a part of the main curriculum which is targeted towards being achieved in the framework of the culture predominant in the given educational environment and without the consciousness of the educators and learners. Masouleh (2015) further states that hidden curriculum can be considered from the point of view of a set of values, and expectations, with limited focus on knowledge and understanding. According to Alsubaie (2015), hidden curriculum can be described as the values, traits, procedures, norms, and procedures that exist in educational setting though implicitly. Thompson (2017) describes the hidden curriculum as the unwritten rules, regulations, normative forms of behaviours and values which students are expected to conform to, learn and imbibe while undergoing regular teaching and learning activities in school. The submissions of Alsubaie (2015) and Thompson (2017) suggest that hidden curriculum is the implicit values and norms, amongst others, which exist in the teaching and learning space. Li (2018) views hidden curriculum as informal or casual and unconscious learning experiences which take place in schools. According to Li (2018), such learning experiences are not plainly stated or defined in the curriculum plans and policies of the school. Hidden curriculum is otherwise known as potential curriculum or informal curriculum (Li, 2018). In this study, hidden curriculum is used to mean the values, norms, and beliefs, amongst others, that are not documented, neither are they official based on the design of happenings that are to take place, that learners are exposed to and learn while in school. Hidden curriculum in this study can also be considered as the unplanned lessons, perceptions and values that learners learn while in school.

Onsite learning
Reviews of the works by Chen and Jia (2016) and Uleanya et al. (2021) show that onsite learning can also be referred to as face-to-face learning in a teaching and learning environment. Onsite learning is also considered as classroom or traditional method of conducting teaching and learning activities (De, 2018;Singh, 2019). This is due to its long history and existence. In this study, onsite learning is used to mean face-to-face learning that can be conducted in any given teaching and learning environment without the use of Internet.

Online learning
Online learning is also commonly referred to as e-learning (Chen & Jia, 2016;De, 2018;Masouleh, 2015;Singh, 2019;Uleanya et al., 2021). Online learning is also considered as one of the different types of distance learning. It is a type of education which takes place over the Internet (Manoj, 2019). In the case of this study, online learning is considered as a formal type of education where teaching and learning activities are conducted over the Internet.

Methodology
The study explored issues revolving around hidden curriculum as it concerns transition of learning activities of learners from onsite to online. Review method was adopted for the study; hence, literatures that were of relevance to the study were reviewed, analysed and applied to the study. The adoption of review method was based on the view by Snyder (2019) who opines that literature review method is one of the adoptable means of gathering information for a study, especially as it concerns social science-related research. Following the work by Snyder (2019), literature review method in research varies. For instance, the narrative, and the systematic reviews, and metaanalysis all form the various types of review method applicable to a social science-related research. The narrative which can also be described as integrative method of literature review according to Snyder (2019) is supported by scholars such as Uleanya et al. (2021), Torraco (2005), and Baumeister and Leary (1997). Meanwhile, the systematic review and meta-analysis methods are supported by different scholars, some of which include Uleanya et al. (2021), Davis et al. (2014), Wong et al. (2013), and Liberati et al. (2009). Review method especially in social science-related research studies is seen as making available vital opportunities for critical evaluations of various beliefs and opinions of different scholars on a particular subject matter which at the point of study is of interest to the researcher(s). For instance, in the case of the present study, issues bordering around hidden curriculum as it concerns transition from onsite to online learning following the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic are of paramount interest to the researcher. Thus, the works of various scholars on the subject were considered paramount, consequently reviewed and adapted for the study. The different identified scholars covered subject areas in the study and are presented in Table 1.

Discussion
Sequel to the reviewed literature, certain themes were identified and adopted for discussion of the subject matter. They are hidden curriculum and onsite learning, the role of hidden curriculum in learning, factors promoting learning in hidden curriculum, and hidden curriculum and online learning. Each of the identified themes is as presented and explained below using different headings and subheadings.

Theme 1: Hidden curriculum and onsite learning
As identified above, hidden curriculum implies the undocumented and unofficial unplanned lessons which take place in school where learners learn certain values, norms, and beliefs, amongst others (Thompson, 2017;Alsubaie, 2015). Meanwhile, onsite learning is the form of education which take place in a face-to-face learning condition as against over the Internet Chen & Jia, 2016). Thus, attempting to align hidden curriculum with onsite learning, it may be viewed from the point of the values and norms, amongst others, imbibed by learners in regular traditional learning situations which take place in classrooms or other face-to -face learning environment not over the Internet. Hidden curriculum in this regard can occur either during teaching and learning exercise or in other situations since it does not usually follow a planned lesson (Thompson, 2017;Alsubaie, 2015). Meanwhile, Alsubaie (2015), however, adds that hidden curriculum can promote imbibing of negative values if not carefully watched and guided against. Masouleh (2015) states that amongst the negative traits that can be imbibed by learners following hidden curriculum are conflict from learners and social isolation, lack of concern to study, stubbornness, low self-esteem and unnecessary dependence on school assessments, and lack of cooperation. Meanwhile, according to the Education Central (EC; 2020), many polytechnic or university students in New Zealand prefer to explore onsite study option rather than online. This is due on the social benefits which they enjoy. Such benefit includes study and learning amidst fellow young people who are like minded, as well as making new friends (Education Central (EC), 2020). In this regard, students get to learn from and with their colleagues besides the normal lessons taught by their educators. By inference, this implies that besides the regular planned lessons taught in class, learners tend to learn other things and imbibe certain values while undergoing onsite teaching and learning activities.

Area covered Search item(s) Study
Conceptualisation of terms Hidden curriculum Alsubaie (2015); Masouleh (2015); Thompson (2017); Li (2018) Onsite learning Masouleh (  According to Great Schools Partnership (2015), hidden curriculum can playout in institutions of learning in various ways such as explained below: (1) School structures: Message(s) can be communicated to students knowingly or unknowingly based on the way and manner in which the academic programmes and/or the institutions are organized and operated.
(2) Institutional rules: The rules and regulations guiding institutions of learning are capable of communicating various messages to students: intentionally and/or unintentionally. For instance, in some faculties in certain higher institutions of learning, students are required to wear uniforms. This helps to give the students some sense of practices in their selected field of endeavour.
(3) Cultural expectations: In this regard, the academic, behavioral and social expectations instituted by institutions of learning and the educators tend to pass across message(s) to students. Thus, all that are expected of the students from their educators as well as their institutions of learning communicate different messages to them.
(4) Cultural values: Values upheld and promoted by institutions of learning, educators, peers, and various groups within the institution also possess the potency to communicate various messages to students. This in some instances determines their mode of behaviour even outside their institution of learning.
(5) Cultural perspectives: The way and manner in which institutions of learning recognize, appreciate, integrate, uphold, and/or honour issues such as multiculturalism and diversity pass different forms of messages to students.
(6) Curricular topics: Various ideological, ethical and/or cultural message(s) are conveyed in different instances by subjects chosen by educators for courses and lessons. For instances, the teaching of a subject such as history of a particular country may be approached in a variety of ways using diverse themes, perceptions/viewpoints, and past examples.
(7) Teaching strategies: The way and manner institutions of learning and educators adopt for students to be educated are also capable of passing across message(s) to the students. For instance, the approach of students to life may differ if they are awarded marks for early submission of assignments, paying rapt attention and participating in class, amongst others.
The foregoing shows that hidden curriculum revolves around subjects on the following: school structures, cultural expectations, institutional rules, cultural values, cultural perspectives, curricular matters and teaching strategies. Thus, schools through various factors such as teachers, policies, rules and regulations among others have a lot to do in ensuring that hidden curriculum is made to thrive. Thompson (2017) identifies various roles of hidden curriculum in a teaching and learning environment. According to Thompson (2017), in a teaching and learning situation, learners are exposed to learn the following through hidden curriculum which by inference indicates the roles played by hidden curriculum.

Theme 2: The role of hidden curriculum in learning
(1) Learn to show respect to authority: Learners are exposed to various ways by which they can show respect or disrespect to delegated authorities by practices. This helps to inculcate the values of respect for authorities into learners. This is not necessarily in the lesson content of what learners are to be taught.
(2) Show respect to the opinions of others: Learners are taught to imbibe the value of respecting the opinions of others. This is regardless of the status of those involved.
(3) Learn punctuality: Hidden curriculum help learners to imbibe the culture of being punctual to various activities. For instance, hidden curriculum helps to expose learners to the need for punctuality in class attendance. This transcends to other activities involving learners.
(4) Learn to seek and work towards being achievers: Hidden curriculum helps to expose learners to the need to desire and believe in themselves being able to achieve great feats in life. This can come in the form of wishful thinking, wanting to be like certain successful people in the society, thereby attempting to follow their thought patterns, and beliefs, amongst others.
(5) Possess and display good work ethics: Not all work ethics are taught in the form of subject contents. However, while undertaking certain teaching and learning exercises, certain work ethics are learnt from different people, especially those held in high esteem. In this regard, learners can be exposed to certain work ethics while studying and learning from their educators. This is dependent on how the educators comport themselves.
Additionally, Killick (2016) had earlier opined that one of the roles and benefits of hidden curriculum is that it advances leaners' learning. This is done over a diverse range of dimensions, especially in most areas of learning where the formal, designed, planned and implemented curriculum does not cater or make provision. In other words, hidden curriculum increases the scope of learning of learners. Killick (2016) states that hidden curriculum can aid learning through learners' socialising. Moreover, where the hidden and the formal curricular are aligned, the tendencies for the achievement of the desired drastic transformative learning is high (Killick, 2016). In other words, though hidden curriculum is to an extent unplanned, if educators are intentional about its utilization in achieving certain goals and ensure that it aligns with the formal curriculum, learners' outcomes are envisaged to be successful. Li (2018), by identifying some roles and by extension benefits of hidden curriculum in the twenty-first century, opines that it enables learning in the area of possessing international ideas; this can be through socialization.
Other identified areas according to Li (2018) include language abilities, especially listening and speaking, and also comprehensive quality and innovation abilities (Li, 2018). This implies that hidden curriculum tends to enable learners to imbibe abilities for innovative skills, language acquisition, and cross cultural and international ideas, amongst others, especially through socialising with others. Meanwhile, the work by Masouleh (2015) had earlier indicated that hidden curriculum is capable of assisting learners in forming good practices. Amongst these are good health practices, respect for humanity, good recreations, open-minded and honest competitions, good economic judgment, good social perception, being a global citizen, and upholding faith in democracy.
Having considered the roles and by inference benefits of hidden curriculum as enumerated by Thompson (2017), it is important to note that hidden curriculum is quite achievable in online teaching and learning setting. According to Darvin (2019), hidden curriculum can successfully be achieved in an online teaching and learning condition, if technology is focused on as a tool for teaching and learning exercises, not object of study. In this regard, technology can be adopted as a tool to enhance the imbibing of certain values and norms, amongst others. Darvin (2019) further posits that for learners to successfully imbibe the desired values following the provision of hidden curriculum in an online scenario, the relevant education stakeholders are admonished to ensure the equipping of institutions of learning with due technical know-how that would aid the acquisition of social and cultural capital. Conversely, Darvin (2019) holds the view that where the due technical know-how is not made available, inequality may be experienced. In this regard, some learners may seem to be left out in the growth process, while others continue to imbibe the desired values.

Theme 3: Factors promoting learning in hidden curriculum
Review of the work by Karimi et al. (2014) shows that learning through hidden curriculum can be stimulated by different factors. Some of the identified factors are the envisaged profession, influence of the personal needs and values on learning, behaviour of educators, and feedback.
The envisaged profession: The work by Karimi et al. (2014) suggests that the profession of learners stimulate them to learn towards certain directions and walks of life. For instance, some learners may choose to become soldiers based on their zeal to secure nations and territories. Similarly, others may choose to appreciate practices and values around the medical field based on their desire to save lives.
Influence of personal needs and values on learning: Karimi et al. (2014) hold the view that the personal characteristics of the learner have influence on how hidden curriculum affects what is imbibed. For instance, a learner values cars and feels as having need for knowledge in that area may consider engaging in discussions around such. In this regard, certain knowledge would be acquired and values imbibed.
Behaviour of educators: The way and manner educators comport, carry and behave themselves have impact on the perception of learners about them and life as well. The work by Karimi et al. (2014) shows that educators, for instance, can make learners believe that one profession supersedes the other based on how certain subject matters are presented.
Feedback: The kind of feedback received by learners can determine their reaction to certain situations and approach to life in certain instances (Karimi et al., 2014). For instance, a learner who is scolded and punished by an educator for dishonesty is likely not to repeat such action again. In this regard, the value of honesty is somewhat being imbibed.
Following the different identified and explained factors promoting hidden curriculum, it can be deduced that hidden curriculum can be more easily experienced and promoted in an onsite teaching and learning experience. On the other hand, Darvin (2019) holds the view that hidden curriculum can be promoted in online teaching and learning situation; however, technology is to be considered as a tool which aids the imbibing of values and norms, not an object of study.
This identified and explained third theme above shows that hidden curriculum does not thrive on its own. It is promoted and made to thrive through certain factors such as the envisaged profession, influence of the personal needs and values on learning, behaviour of educators, and feedback which are heighted and explained above. Darvin (2019) and Öztok (2020) hold the views that online learning is capable of promoting inequality. Öztok (2020) explains that the hidden curriculum of online education tends to preserve cultural control and promote the creation of unequal or unfair learning practices through cultural variances. Meanwhile, Öztok (2013) had earlier stated that following the issues revolving around dominance and control over the production of knowledge conditions, identification and values, inequality can be experienced. Also, following social absence, hidden curriculum is affected. This implies that following online education practices, learners can experience various forms of inequalities based on the discrepancies in their exposure to online learning, as well as social absence. Moreover, according to Masouleh (2015), major discrepancies existing between social acceptance and recognition, pressure, vulnerability, and learners' self-confidence as well as online learning impact the hidden curriculum of institutions of learning. Sequel to the foregoing, it can be stated that online learning has impact on the hidden curriculum of schools and can unfairly promote inequality, especially in areas where digital divide is prevalent. Digital divide in this context is used to mean existing gaps between or amongst regions based on the quality of access given to present-day information, communication technology (ICT; Akintolu & Uleanya, 2021). Suffice to state that the goal of hidden curriculum can easily be hampered in online compared to onsite teaching and learning situations.

Conclusion and recommendations
The study explored issues revolving around hidden curriculum with regard to transition from onsite to online teaching and learning situations. Review method was adopted for the study; thus; relevant literatures were duly identified, reviewed, analysed and presented. The findings of the study showed that while hidden curriculum is usually unplanned, it is more prevalent and easily achievable in onsite teaching and learning situations compared to online. Nevertheless, with the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic, many institutions of learning across the globe have transited from onsite to online teaching and learning situations. Meanwhile, many other institutions of learning are preparing to follow suit, especially with the expectation of practices in the education sector during the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era. Following the findings of the study, some recommendations are made. These recommendations are targeted towards exploring possible ways of ensuring the upholding of hidden curriculum in schools and using it to the advantages of institutions of learning, regardless of the common trend in the education sectors where most teaching and learning activities are done online. Suffice to state that the idea of postdigital education by scholars such as Goodyear (2021), Bozkurt and Sharma (2020), and Fawns (2019), as well as Feenberg (2019), should be preferred and encouraged. Sequel to the findings of the study, the following recommendations are made: • Considering the importance of hidden curriculum to the learnings and characters of learners, special face-to-face contact sections between learners and their educators should be organised periodically. This could be done in parks in the form of outdoor teaching and learning activities, school halls, and classrooms, amongst others, in order to give learners the opportunity to imbibe certain character traits from their educators. However, such face-to-face contact sections should be organised while adhering to regulations such as social distancing guiding gatherings during the period of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Minimal time schedule should be allowed for face-to-face teaching and learning while observing due COVID-19 protocols. In this regard, blended learning will be promoted.
• Educators should be admonished, trained and guided to be intentional about the issue of learners imbibing certain character traits from them during the minimal time scheduled for face-to-face contact sections. In this regard, educators would be intimated on how to conduct themselves in order to ensure that the desired character traits are imbibed.

Suggestion for further study
The study was limited to review method; thus, only information from reviewed relevant literatures were analysed and presented. It is therefore suggested that similar study be replicated using empirical survey. In this regard, quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods can be employed. Hence, data can be collected through the use of suitable questionnaire or interviews. Also, actual sample can be adopted for the study. Amongst such sample can be learners from selected primary or high schools or students from selected institutions of higher learning.