Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between interaction and online learning satisfaction, whether this relationship is mediated by academic self-efficacy and student engagement among Chinese university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A serial mediation model was developed to examine the proposed relationship. This study employed a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based research design. A sample of 1,504 Chinese university students (Mage=19.89years, SDage=1.93) from five provinces in China completed an online survey questionnaire from December 2020 to January 2021 to respond to questions on demographic characteristics and items to measure the variables in the research model. The partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to assess the measurement model and proposed serial mediation model. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS software version 3.3.2. The results of the measurement model showed good reliability and validity for all constructs. The results of the structural model and hypothesis testing showed that all hypotheses were supported in this study. Particularly, there was a significant positive relationship between interaction and online learning satisfaction (Q1), interaction and academic self-efficacy (Q2), academic self-efficacy and student engagement (Q3), and the student engagement and online learning satisfaction (Q4). In addition, the results showed that academic self-efficacy and student engagement serial mediated the relationship between interaction and online learning satisfaction (Q5). The serial mediation model explained 34.6% of the variance of online learning satisfaction. The findings shed light on the underlying mechanisms that explain students’ online learning satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Universities and policymakers need to make better decisions that ultimately could lead to students’ academic outcomes and achievement.
Highlights
The COVID-19 declared as a pandemic by World Health Organization in 2020 has utterly disrupted educational activities, forcing most universities to a full closure, affecting hundreds of millions of students and educators across the globe (Shahzad et al, 2021)
This study argues that students’ academic self-efficacy and engagement in online classes may explain the relationship between interaction and online learning satisfaction
This study employed a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based research design to investigate the relationship between interaction and online learning satisfaction as well as the serial mediating role of academic self-efficacy and student engagement in the relationship between interaction and online learning satisfaction among Chinese university students
Summary
The COVID-19 declared as a pandemic by World Health Organization in 2020 has utterly disrupted educational activities, forcing most universities to a full closure, affecting hundreds of millions of students and educators across the globe (Shahzad et al, 2021). Students have more control over the content and time to learn based on their individual learning needs and autonomy (Coman et al, 2020). This unplanned and rapid shift has raised concerns over the quality of learning, students’ academic achievement (Sahu, 2020) and satisfaction (Dziuban et al, 2015) as not much information or guidance is available on the best online teaching practices for instructors (Armstrong-Mensah et al, 2020). Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, online education featured with high attrition rates was downgraded as the second best preferred by students compared to traditional higher education (Muilenburg and Berge, 2005; Hassan et al, 2021)
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