TY - JOUR
T1 - Linking web-based learning self-efficacy and learning engagement in MOOCs
T2 - The role of online academic hardiness
AU - Kuo, Tonny Menglun
AU - Tsai, Chin Chung
AU - Wang, Jyun Cheng
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was financially supported by the “Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences” of National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) from The Featured Areas Research Center Program within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Taiwan and partially supported by Ministry of Science and Technology in Taiwan under MOST 106-2410-H-007-020-MY2 and MOST 108-2511-H-003-038-MY3 .
Funding Information:
This work was financially supported by the “Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences” of National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) from The Featured Areas Research Center Program within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Taiwan and partially supported by Ministry of Science and Technology in Taiwan under MOST 106-2410-H-007-020-MY2 and MOST 108-2511-H-003-038-MY3.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2021/10
Y1 - 2021/10
N2 - Even though Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have created highly personalized and dynamic learning environments for higher education, the low completion rate has hampered their development. Nevertheless, how to engage MOOC learners in continuing to learn online remains unclear in terms of psychological mechanisms. Enlightened by the social cognitive view of learning and hardiness theory, this study investigates the mediating role of online academic hardiness (the courage that is needed to turn stressful changes from burdens into advantageous growth in online environments) between web-based learning self-efficacy (the specific beliefs that people have in their capability to complete tasks when learning online) and online learning engagement. Using validated self-reported scales, a total of 608 participants of six MOOCs courses from Taiwan were included in this study. The results of structural equation modeling indicated the significant mediating effect of commitment on behavioral, emotional and cognitive engagement in learning MOOCs. Additionally, we found that the components of web-based learning self-efficacy led to different types of engagement: general Internet-based learning self-efficacy contributes to behavioral and emotional engagement, whereas functional Internet-based learning self-efficacy contributes to emotional and cognitive engagement. The direct and indirect effects of web-based learning self-efficacy highlight its critical role in online learning engagement. Overall, our conceptual model based on the agentic view of social cognitive theory provides researchers and practitioners with a holistic picture to understand the MOOC engagement phenomenon by revealing mixed results compared to traditional distance education.
AB - Even though Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have created highly personalized and dynamic learning environments for higher education, the low completion rate has hampered their development. Nevertheless, how to engage MOOC learners in continuing to learn online remains unclear in terms of psychological mechanisms. Enlightened by the social cognitive view of learning and hardiness theory, this study investigates the mediating role of online academic hardiness (the courage that is needed to turn stressful changes from burdens into advantageous growth in online environments) between web-based learning self-efficacy (the specific beliefs that people have in their capability to complete tasks when learning online) and online learning engagement. Using validated self-reported scales, a total of 608 participants of six MOOCs courses from Taiwan were included in this study. The results of structural equation modeling indicated the significant mediating effect of commitment on behavioral, emotional and cognitive engagement in learning MOOCs. Additionally, we found that the components of web-based learning self-efficacy led to different types of engagement: general Internet-based learning self-efficacy contributes to behavioral and emotional engagement, whereas functional Internet-based learning self-efficacy contributes to emotional and cognitive engagement. The direct and indirect effects of web-based learning self-efficacy highlight its critical role in online learning engagement. Overall, our conceptual model based on the agentic view of social cognitive theory provides researchers and practitioners with a holistic picture to understand the MOOC engagement phenomenon by revealing mixed results compared to traditional distance education.
KW - Challenge
KW - Commitment
KW - Massive open online courses (MOOCs)
KW - Online academic hardiness
KW - Online learning engagement
KW - Web-based learning self-efficacy
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U2 - 10.1016/j.iheduc.2021.100819
DO - 10.1016/j.iheduc.2021.100819
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85107905337
SN - 1096-7516
VL - 51
JO - Internet and Higher Education
JF - Internet and Higher Education
M1 - 100819
ER -