The moderating effect of students' perception of digital learning environments on their engagement and self-efficacy in mathematics
Abstract
Education has changed immensely as a result of the digital revolution and educators today are being called upon to examine the delivery mechanism of instruction. Positive and statistically significant relationships have been found between self-efficacy, engagement, and academic achievement. This study sought to determine whether the presence of a digital learning environment could be a viable intervention for faltering student academic outcomes in mathematics. The goal of this research was to examine whether a digital learning environment is related to student outcomes as measured by student engagement and student self-efficacy. Student perception of the impact of using technology in the math classroom as measured by their sense of self-efficacy was explored. The researcher hypothesized that the relationship between student engagement and self-efficacy would be moderated by student perception of a digital learning environment. The study explored both conditional effects of students' perceptions of engagement and digital learning environments on reported levels of self-efficacy as well as whether the effect of students' perceived engagement on self-efficacy was moderated by the presence of a digital learning environment. Data were collected using a school district's archival survey data from middle school students in grades six-eight that measured self-efficacy using the Morgan Jinks Self-Efficacy Survey, student engagement using the, Student Engagement Instrument (SEI), and technology usage using the Formal and Informal Technology Survey. Path analysis was used to explore the relationship between student engagement and self-efficacy as influenced by the presence of a digital learning environment. Data analysis revealed that although the model was found to be satisfactory, the moderation effect was not significant, thus indicating that a digital learning environment does not act as a moderator of student engagement onto self-efficacy. However, a more parsimonious exploration of the model revealed a highly significant contribution of both student engagement and digital learning onto self-efficacy. The results suggest that providing classrooms with technological resources may have a positive effect on student learning.
Subject Area
Educational leadership|Educational technology
Recommended Citation
Ramseur, Helisha Dawn, "The moderating effect of students' perception of digital learning environments on their engagement and self-efficacy in mathematics" (2016). ETD Collection for Fayetteville State University. AAI10610448.
https://digitalcommons.uncfsu.edu/dissertations/AAI10610448