Assessment of self-efficacy in online learning of teacher education students in one state university in the Philippines

Abstract

Purpose–This paper attempted to describe the online learning self-efficacy of Teacher education students from two groups with and without prior online learning experience in one state university in the Philippines. It further determined whether the self-efficacy of the two groups are comparable as to learning in the online environment, time management, and technology use. Methodology–The researchers utilized the Online Learning Self-Efficacy Scale (OLSES) to collect the necessary data to assess and compare the level of online learning self-efficacy of the respondents from the two groups. Three hundred and eighty-seven Teacher Education students with and without prior online learning experienceparticipated in the study. Results–The study revealed that both groups rated their self-efficacy in learning in the online environment, time management, and technology use as very good. However, the students with online learning experience yielded a relatively higher online learning self-efficacy in all three domains compared to the students without an online learning experience. The study further showed that there is no significant difference in the online learning self-efficacy betweenthe two groups. Conclusion–The Teacher Education students assessed their online learning self-efficacy as very good regardless of their online learning experience. Based on the results of the study, since the p-values of all variables do not exceed the critical value of 0.05, the null hypotheses were all accepted. This implied that there is no statistical difference that exists in the online learning self-efficacy of the students from the two groups.Recommendation–The academic institution, instructors, and students should include the online learning self-efficacy of the students in designing a comprehensive online learning program. It is also recommended to conduct experimental research and explore other demographic factors for future research directions to substantiate the results of the present study.Practical Implications–The higher education institutions would be able to develop a comprehensive design of online delivery of teaching and learning, grounded on the self-efficacy in online learning of the students, to accommodate the needs of various students who lack learning experiences in the context of online learning.