Standing Firm and Standing Together: Relational and Psychological Factors Impacting Student Success

Online learning can have its benefits due to its being widely accessible to students. It also has its drawbacks as many students report facing feelings of isolation, as well as reduced self-efficacy, as a result of the lack of social support, sense of belonging, and engagement that most often experience in the more sociable environment of a classroom. In the case of this Paris-based study, the authors theorized that perceived social support and feelings of community-belonging all increase academic success. This encourages a higher sense of self-efficacy and overall engagement within students in class learning.

To test this theory out, 506 students enrolled in online schooling with diverse majors were recruited via volunteering and additional questionnaire. Using mixed methods of indexes and research scales, factors measured included 1) perceived social support, 2) individual feelings of community belonging, 3) academic self-efficacy and internet self-efficacy, 4) psychological engagement in learning, and 5) completion of the course.

As predicted, academic success is contingent on these relational and psychological factors. It was found that higher drop-out rates were higher among undergraduates in online courses, and this trend was increasing prevalent the lower the year of the student. More females were found to exhibit lower perceived self-efficacy compared to their male counterparts, and the same case is also applicable to older students. Overall, academic efficacy was shown to contribute to more scholarly engagement within students. These results are attributable to the perceived social support students feel from teachers. Furthermore, a sense of community-belonging is also found to be vital in reaping positive academic results.

The authors recognize that there are limitations within their study. For instance, a lack of classroom engagement and self-efficacy could occur for a multitude of reasons, such as a lack of quality in course material (as I’m sure we’ve all been at the mercy of a terrible prof at some point in our lives). Further research also needs to be conducted on factors that contribute to overall completion of online schooling.

Regardless, in order for online students to succeed and get the most out of their education, it is absolutely essential that more online interactions occur between groups of students and their teachers. Doing so can instill this sense of community, therefore combat perceived loneliness and increase social support. Additionally, more online academic activities designed to test and improve academic knowledge and application can also monitor the progress, as well as increase course engagement. In conclusion, this study proves that social support and community reaps excellent benefits for all parties involved as it allows more productivity and participation.

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Source:

• Vayre, E., & Vonthron, A. M. (2018). Relational and psychological factors affecting exam participation and student achievement in online college courses. The Internet and Higher Education.