The Role of Self-efficacy in Self-regulation Learning in Online College Course

Online education courses provide students with flexibility of time and place to learn (Kena et al., 2016). The percentage of college students enrolled in distance education course has increased to 28%. The problem is the high rate of students who failed to complete online courses is alarming. failing rates in online courses range from 10% to 90%. If college retention in online courses remains unaddressed, the US will continue to be in disadvantage to compete globally. Self-regulation has been endorsed as a key factor to predict successful online learning. The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative study using a correlational research design was to examine the relationship between a self-reported and a tracing instrument to measure self-efficacy over time. The study was fulfilled by conducting a study among college students taking an online course during the fall semester of 2017 at Hartnell College, CA. Research method was a correlational statistical test analysis. The theoretical framework for the research study was the social-cognitive Self-Regulated Learning framework by Pintrich. Self-reported instrument was able to measure change over time implying that the use of self-reported mechanisms could be used to measure the dynamic relationships of SRL. Traced-self efficacy in technology use increases academic achievement over time. Self-reported and traced self-efficacy variables could better predict mastery of content in an online course. The researcher contributed with a study that measured self-efficacy over time to better understand the dynamic role of motivation in self-regulation learning (Karabenick, 2015). Future studies should consider research methodologies that include analysis over time to be able to explore the dynamic relationship between SRL processes.