Welcome back to face-to-face: A novel Indonesian issue of students' perceptions towards learning transition

The Indonesian government will reverse the mandatory option for schools to conduct limited face-to-face learning starting from July 2021, after struggling with a pandemic emergency for about one-half of the year. This policy has the potential to trigger a variety of perceptions, including from students. Therefore, this cross-sectional study addresses three points, which are students' perceptions about previous emergency learning, limited face-to-face transition, and expectations from teachers towards the transition. A total of 850 Indonesian students ranging from elementary to tertiary education levels were involved as participants. An online survey was constructed in two forms, namely a 5- point Likert scale and open-ended questions. The results showed pro and contra during emergency learning implementation. Overall, the students welcomed the transition, which was accompanied by the hope that teachers appropriately prepare pedagogical strategies. Furthermore, it offers possibilities for new explorations from all education stakeholders that will enhance a good learning atmosphere.