The influence of motivation on learning engagement: the mediating role of learning self-efficacy and self-monitoring in online learning environments

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to investigate the influence of higher education students’ motivation, learning self-efficacy, and self-monitoring on learning engagement in online learning environments. Inviting participants from Taiwan’s higher education institutions, a total of 354 students (144 male and 210 female) from different years and fields completed an online survey. After conducting SEM analysis, results of the study showed that motivation had a positive relationship with learning self-efficacy, self-monitoring, and learning engagement. The study showed that motivation had a direct influence on learning engagement and an indirect influence through learning self-efficacy and self-monitoring. However, the direct influence of motivation on learning engagement was not strong. Learning self-efficacy also had a direct effect on self-monitoring and learning engagement. In this study, the findings showed that learning self-efficacy and self-monitoring partially mediated the influence of motivation on learning engagement in online learning environments. Finally, we constructed a model comprising four variables (motivation, self-efficacy, self-monitoring, and learning engagement), and found that it explained 76-78% of the variance in learning engagement.

KEYWORDS:

• Motivation
• learning self-efficacy
• self-monitoring
• learning engagement
• higher education

Acknowledgments

This research was financially supported by a Grants from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (MOST 108-2511-H-011-007-MY2 and MOST 110-2511-H-011 -003 -MY3). We also acknowledge Mr. Nicholas O. Awuor for his participation in analysis part of this study particularly in testing the mediation effects of mediator variables using bootstrapping approach.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan: [Grant Number MOST 108-2511-H-011-007-MY2 and MOST 110-2511-H-01].

Notes on contributors

Lekissa Alemayehu

Lekissa Alemayehu –is a college lecture up to 2018 in Ethiopia. He received MA degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. Now he is PhD candidate in department of Graduate Institute of Digital Learning and Education at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. His research are is ICT integration in instruction and active learning strategies.

Hsiu-Ling Chen

Hsiu-Ling Chen is an Associate Professor of Digital Learning and Education at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. She has earned her Ph. D degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Her current main field is ICT integration in Education. Her other interests include flipped classroom, CSCL (computer supported collaborative learning), Digital storytelling and high-order cognitive thinking (critical thinking, creative thinking, problem solving, metacognition).