Situational interest, computer self‐efficacy and self‐regulation: Their impact on student engagement in distance education
Abstract
This study investigates possible relationships among motivational and learning variables (interest, self‐efficacy and self‐regulation) and three types of student engagement (behavioural engagement, emotional engagement and cognitive engagement) in a distance education setting. Participants were 203 students enrolled in online classes in the fall semester of 2008 in the Schools of Gerontology and Engineering at a large research university in the south‐western USA, who completed an online survey assessing their levels of situational interest, computer self‐efficacy, self‐regulation and engagement in distance education. Situational interest and self‐regulation were found to be significantly correlated with three types of engagement (behavioural, emotional and cognitive), while computer self‐efficacy did not appear to be associated with any of those engagement variables. Results suggested that online activities and tools such as multimedia and discussion boards may increase emotional engagement in online learning, although they do not necessarily increase behavioural or cognitive engagement, that educators should identify students who are taking online courses for the first time and provide necessary technical help to increase their emotional engagement, and that it is important for educators to offer students strategies for increasing their self‐regulation in distance education environments.
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Technical issues with online learning platforms can impede students' progress, including unstable system environments, slow computer speeds, and software compatibility problems, and can reduce enthusiasm for blended learning.
“Technical issues with online learning platforms can impede students' progress, including unstable system environments, slow computer speeds, and software compatibility problems. Poorly designed menus and interfaces can also cause frustration, as can slow or unreliable internet connections, which limit the ability to multi-task and may ultimately reduce students' enthusiasm for blended learning.”
From A meta-analysis of effects of blended learning on performance, attitude, achievement, and engagement across different countries (2023) · cites this paper as Sun and Rueda, 2012
These challenges can erode students' confidence in their computer skills, leading to a decline in overall engagement and, in extreme cases, abandonment of the blended learning approach.
“These challenges can erode students' confidence in their computer skills, leading to a decline in overall engagement and, in extreme cases, abandonment of the blended learning approach (Sun and Rueda, 2012).”
From A meta-analysis of effects of blended learning on performance, attitude, achievement, and engagement across different countries (2023) · cites this paper as Sun and Rueda, 2012
There is a positive relationship between motivational factors such as self-efficacy and self-regulation and learning engagement.
“There is a positive relationship between motivational factors such as self-efficacy and self-regulation and learning engagement (Bates and Khasawneh 2007;Sun and Rueda 2012).”
From Experiences in the use of an adaptive intelligent system to enhance online learners' performance: a case study in Economics and Business courses (2021) · cites this paper as Sun and Rueda 2012
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- Authors
- Sun, J. C., & Rueda, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Southern California (US)
- Corresponding author
- Sun, Jerry Chih‐Yuan
- Rueda, Robert
- ORCID
- Sun, Jerry Chih‐Yuan
- Venue
- British Journal of Educational Technology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2011-01-31
- Volume
- 43
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 191-204
- ISSN
- 0007-1013 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-8535
- OpenAlex
- W2143126460
- Semantic Scholar
- 0b9ec66ea6a8104779172f8c78124ee32f070ec2
- Cited by
- 785
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 57 · 2025: 104 · 2024: 98 · 2023: 99 · 2022: 98 · 2021: 98 · 2020: 66 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 46.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- British Journal of Educational Technology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Online and Blended Learning
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Education, Achievement, and Giftedness
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Science Applications › Online Learning and Analytics
- Keywords
- situational interest, computer self-efficacy, self-regulation, student engagement, distance education, online learning, behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, cognitive engagement, multimedia, forum, technical support
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