A comparison of student motivation by program delivery method: self-efficacy, goal orientation, and belongingness in a synchronous online and traditional face-to-face environment

2015-02-10As distance education options expand and increase, online courses have begun to take up a progressively large portion of the educational sector, specifically in postsecondary institutions (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2011). Online course offerings have risen in popularity at the postsecondary level, and well established research literature has been published which compares learner demographics and learning outcomes in online and in-class settings. Less established, however, is research on motivation in distance learning settings, specifically in synchronous online environments that incorporate real-time opportunities for student collaboration and immediate faculty feedback via visual and audio technology. Studies comparing latent motivational constructs such as self-efficacy, goal orientation and student sense of belonging in the online academic setting are limited, especially at the graduate postsecondary level in the field of pre-service teacher preparation. However, prior research indicates the importance of motivational elements, namely professional self-efficacy and sense of belonging, as factors to consider in teacher education programs (Camprara, Barbaranelli, Steca & Malone, 2006; Erdem & Demirel, 2012). A distinct lack of research on these motivational constructs in online pre-service programs for educators has been paired with a call for further examination of such topics (Comprara et al., 20016; Kopcha & Alger, 2013). Knowledge around these issues can help graduate faculty and program course designers to effectively meet a demand in this growing sector of online education. ❧ The purpose of this study was to examine potential differences in student motivation between in-class and online methods of instructional delivery in a graduate-level pre-service teacher training program. A non-experimental, quantitative approach was used to collect data through a voluntary self-report survey among graduate students enrolled in a traditional in-class graduate program at a prestigious four-year research university, as well as those enrolled in a synchronous, online version of this program. Data was collected from 240 participants (N=240); 190 participants attended online classes and 50 participants attended classes in an on-campus setting. The first purpose of this study was to see if there was a difference in student sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and goal orientation by program delivery method. The second purpose was to determine whether or not feelings of belonging predicted self-efficacy or goal orientation in students, controlling for program delivery method. Finally, the third purpose of the study was to investigate which self-reported out-of-class networking activities predicted student feelings of belonging. A quantitative analysis was performed to answer these questions. ❧ This study found that there were no significant differences in student levels of self- efficacy, goal orientation, and sense of belonging by program delivery method. In essence, the method of program delivery was not significantly related to students’ motivation in the graduate level pre-service teacher preparation program examined. Also, student feelings of belonging were found to be moderately significant predictors of their levels of teacher self-efficacy, and weakly significant predictors of mastery goal orientation. Furthermore, of the self-reported out of class networking activities listed on the survey, three in particular were found to be predictive of student feelings of belonging. These activities were frequent social connection with peers, self-reported frequency of course discussion “Wall” usage, and student membership in campus- affiliated groups, such as honors societies and athletic groups. ❧ The results of this study yielded significant insight into motivational factors across instructional delivery methods, in addition to significant and predictive relationships between the motivational constructs examined. The implications of this study may provide awareness of motivational influences on student learning outcomes for program and course developers at the university level. The most relevant observation, that there was no significant difference in student motivation by instructional delivery method, is one that should encourage program administrators and course designers