Online Learning Self-Efficacy during an Emergent Transition: A Cross-sectional Survey among Undergraduate Students in Saudi Arabia

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Introduction: The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic significantly affected higher education, necessitating a sudden shift to virtual classes in response to COVID-19 restrictions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This transition has highlighted the importance of exploring factors that may influence students’ Self-Efficacy (SE) in online learning. Aim: To identify the dimensions of perceived SE in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and examine the association between demographic characteristics and SE levels. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnairebased research design was conducted at the Department of Nursing, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia from January 2022 to May 2022, spanning a duration of five months. Data was collected through an online structured questionnaire, which included a demographic section and the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Online Learning (SeQoL). A total of 250 complete responses were received. Data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 23.0. Mean and standard deviation were used to identify the mean SE in online learning. The Chi-square (χ2 ) test was used to explore the association between SE and demographic variables. Results: Out of the total 250 students, the majority were females, 184 (76%), with age range of 20-21 years. The study found that nearly half of the participants had a high level of SE (119, 47.6%), one-fourth had moderate SE (64, 25.6%), and 67 (26.8%) had a low SE level. The mean SE in online learning among the students was 150.8 with a Standard Deviation (SD) of 77.43, corresponding to a mean percentage of 60.3%. The sub-sections of the SE scale related to interacting with classmates and instructors scored lower than other subsections. The level or year of education (p<0.001), the device used for online learning (p=0.031), previous online education exposure (p=0.038), and hours of online learning (p=0.036) were significantly associated with participants’ online SE. However, age (p=0.187) and gender (p=0.609) did not have a significant effect on online SE. Conclusion: In the present study, the majority of participants exhibited high or moderate SE in online learning. However, one-fourth of them had low SE levels, indicating the need for improvements in the online learning framework at the University of Tabuk. The study recommends enhancing learning support systems, technical support systems, and interaction to develop SE in online learning, thereby improving the overall quality of the online learning experience.