The Roles of Academic Self-Efficacy and Intolerance of Uncertainty on Decisional Procrastination in University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Decisional procrastination has been one of the main phenomena analysed in university students, together with self-efficacy, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the roles of academic self-efficacy and intolerance of uncertainty on decisional procrastination in 318 Italian university students. Furthermore, the mediating role of the intolerance of uncertainty on the relationships between academic self-efficacy and decisional procrastination was explored. The Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, the Decisional Procrastination Scale, and the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale were used. Results: Decisional procrastination was predicted by the components of academic self-efficacy and the intolerance of uncertainty (prospective and inhibitory intolerance). Furthermore, the mediating role of the prospective intolerance of uncertainty was confirmed in the relationship between self-efficacy (self-engagement and self-oriented decision-making) and decisional procrastination. Conclusions: This study adds new evidence to findings in the analysis of the role of the intolerance of uncertainty in mitigating the relationships between the self-efficacy of students in the academic context and their tendency to procrastinate in decision-making processes, which has been poorly investigated to date by scholars in this research field. Future research will deal with a specific situation of procrastinating behaviours, such as the completion of a master's thesis or the respect for the deadline of an article's submission. © 2023 by the authors.

Loneliness, academic self-efficacy, and student engagement in the online learning environment: the role of humor in learning

This study investigated the impact of loneliness on academic self-efficacy (ASE) and student engagement in the context of remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, as a boundary condition, we examined the role of intermediate ASE in the relationship between loneliness, student engagement, and perceived humor in learning. A total of 367 undergraduate students from six universities in Indonesia completed an online questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Macro Process version 4 to test the moderating mediation model hypothesis. As expected, the study results show that loneliness is negatively related to ASE and student engagement. ASE is proven to affect student engagement positively;concurrently, it plays an intermediate role in the link between loneliness and student engagement. Finally, humor had a significant moderating effect on learning in the tested model. This study contributes to the existing literature on loneliness and student engagement by uncovering the intermediate role of ASE. Drawing on the social cognitive theory (SCT) and instructional humor processing theory (IHTP), we explored how perceived humor in learning moderates the relationships between loneliness, ASE, and student engagement. © 2024, Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education. All rights reserved.

Sosyal Bilimler Öğrencilerinin Sosyo-Kültürel Boyutlar, Benlik Saygısı ve Akademik Öz Yeterlikleri Arasındaki Ílişkinin Íncelenmesi

Bu çalışma işletme ve sosyal bilimler öğrencilerinin kültürel boyutlar ve akademik yeterlilikleri arasındaki ilişkide benlik saygısının düzenleyici rolünü incelemektedir. Bu araştırma Covid-19 pandemisi sürecinde üniversitede eğitim gören çoğunlukla işletme ve sosyal bilimler öğrencilerinin belli kültürel boyutlardan (güç aralığı, belirsizlik ve bireyselcilik/toplumsalcılık) hayata bakış açılarını ve başarı durumlarını belirleyen benlik saygısı ve akademik öz yeterlilikleri arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Sayısal yöntem ve ilişkisel tasarımla yüksek eğitim gören 215 öğrenciden toplanan veriler incelenerek yapılmıştır. Araştırma bulguları öğrencilerin güç aralığının düşük olduğunu, belirsizliklerle baş edemediklerini ve kuralcı olduklarını göstermiştir. Bireyselcilik ve toplumsalcılık boyutu açısından da arada kaldıkları anlaşılmaktadır. Benlik saygısı ve akademik yeterlilik açısından öğrencilerin kendilerine güvendiği anlaşılmaktadır. Benlik saygısı tek başına akademik öz yeterliliği büyük ölçüde etkilemekte ve cinsiyete göre farklılık göstermemektedir. Akademik öz yeterlilik kavramının algılanmasında kız öğrenciler lehine;kültürel boyutlar algılamasında ise erkek öğrencilerin lehine bir fark bulunmuştur. Ancak, bu sonuç kız öğrencilerin eşitsizliğe daha az katlandıklarını ve belirsizle mücadelede de erkek öğrencilere kıyasla nispeten daha başarılı olduklarını işaret etmektedir. Araştırma bulgularının mezuniyetlerinden sonra iş başvurusu yaptıklarında işletmelerin insan kaynakları uzmanlarına da yol gösterebileceği düşünülmüştür.Alternate :The aim of the study is to examine the relationship between self-esteem and academic self-efficacy, which determines the perspective of life and success of business administration and social sciences students studying at universities during the Covid-19 pandemic, from Hofstede's three cultural dimensions (power gap, uncertainty and individualism/collectivism). This study was carried out by examining the data collected from 215 university students. The research was done by using quantitative method and relational design. The research findings showed that the students' power-distance, and uncertainty range were low, consequently they could not cope with uncertainties and they were prescriptive. It is understood that they are in between in terms of individualism and socialism. However, it shows that students are self-confident in terms of self-esteem and academic self-efficacy. The concept of self-esteem strongly affects academic self-efficacy and does not differ by gender. While the perception of the concept of academic self-efficacy was resulted in favor of female student, in terms of cultural dimensions, a difference was found in favor of male students. This finding indicates that while female students tolerate inequality less and are relatively more successful in dealing with uncertainty compared to male students. It is thought that the research findings can guide the human resources specialists of the enterprises when they apply for a job after their graduation.

The Structural Relationships among Academic Pressure, Independent Learning Ability, and Academic Self-Efficacy

Background: The coronavirus disease pandemic has caused significant disruption in the field of education, resulting in the need for more online classes and a blended offline and online teaching model. Therefore, understanding what makes this model effective is important. Accordingly, this study explored the structural relationships among academic pressure, independent learning ability, and academic self-efficacy in a blended teaching environment during the pandemic and independent learning ability's mediating effect on the relationship between academic pressure and academic self-efficacy. Methods: Adopting a random sampling method, this study surveyed 761 Chinese college, Shaanxi Province, China in 2022 and university students. Factor analysis, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and path analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: The results show that the academic pressure faced by Chinese English majors had a significant negative impact on academic self-efficacy (P<0.001). However, academic pressure had no statistical effect on stu-dents' independent learning ability (P=0.317). Moreover, independent learning ability had a significant positive effect on academic self-efficacy (P<0.001) and a mediating effect on the relationship between academic pressure and academic self-efficacy (P=0.032). Conclusion: Independent learning ability can directly and indirectly affect academic self-efficacy. Thus, in an online and offline blended teaching model, teachers should guide students regarding self-exploration, com-munication, and cooperation based on existing knowledge and experience. They should also enable students to improve their learning process and independent learning ability. Various language learning situations should be established for learning English so that by experiencing success and failure, students can ultimately improve their academic self-efficacy. © 2023 Zhao et al.

Psychological distress and academic self-efficacy of nursing undergraduates under the normalization of COVID-19: multiple mediating roles of social support and mindfulness.

BACKGROUND: Nursing undergraduates' academic self-efficacy is a significant factor in determining their learning motivation, cognition, and emotions. It has a significant impact on improving academic performance and achieving learning goals. METHODS: To explore the mechanism of psychological distress affecting the academic self-efficacy of nursing undergraduates, the generalized anxiety disorder scale-7, patient health questionnaire-9, academic self-efficacy scale, perceived social support scale and mindful attention awareness scale were conducted. RESULTS: Model fitness indexes of the structural equation model is good (CMIN/DF = 1.404, RMSEA = 0.042, GFI = 0.977, IFI = 0.977, TLI = 0.954, CFI = 0.975, NFI = 0.923). Structural equation model analysis showed that social support and mindfulness were the mediating variables of psychological distress on academic self-efficacy. Mediating variables accounted for 44% of the total effect value (- 0.3) with a value of - 0.132. Three paths were verified: psychological distress indirectly affected academic self-efficacy through social support (- 0.064); psychological distress indirectly affected academic self-efficacy through mindfulness (- 0.053); psychological distress indirectly affected academic self-efficacy through social support and mindfulness (- 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: Social support and mindfulness play significant mediating roles in the effect of psychological distress on academic self-efficacy, and the chain mediating role of social support and mindfulness is also significant. Educators may mitigate the impact of psychological distress on academic self-efficacy by enhancing students' social support and mindfulness.

Personality traits predict the effects of Internet and academic self-efficacy on practical performance anxiety in online learning under the COVID-19 lockdown

Due to COVID-19, the primary teaching method has changed from traditional face-to-face teaching to online teaching. The present study explored the correlates between two personality traits, Neuroticism and Extraversion, and two types of self-efficacy, Internet self-efficacy and academic self-efficacy, on practical performance anxiety. Data from 273 technical college students were collected. Structural equation modeling analysis was performed. Results show that Neuroticism and Extraversion can predict students' practical performance anxiety through Internet and academic self-efficacy. Moreover, Neuroticism can negatively predict Internet and academic self-efficacy. Extraversion can positively predict Internet and academic self-efficacy. The two types of self-efficacy can positively predict practical performance anxiety. According to the results, it seems necessary to reduce students' practical performance anxiety by paying attention to their personality features and their self-efficacy. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Research on Technology in Education is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Effectiveness of a Brief Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention for University Students.

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a dramatic increase in Web-based education, lacking face-to-face student-teacher and student-student interaction, and consequently impairing students' sense of belonging to a community, interoceptive awareness, and academic self-efficacy. This study examined how a brief mindfulness-based intervention in an online university course can be effective in enhancing attention resources, developing a stronger sense of academic self-efficacy, and improving the sense of belonging to a community, which represent critical factors affecting students' participation in online and blended courses. Method: Four-hundred and eighty-six participants (Mage 22.88) completed a battery of measures at pre- and post-treatment. One class (experimental group) participated in a brief online mindfulness-based intervention (42%), whereas the other one (control group) did not take part in the intervention (58%). The intervention included breathing meditation at the beginning of class, sharing of experiences, mini-lectures on mindfulness, and daily practice, and lasted for 28 consecutive days. Results: Participants in the experimental group when compared to controls showed a significant increase in the feeling of influencing the course activities (F = 9.628; p < 0.005), in the self-regulation of attention (F = 19.133; p < 0.001), in academic self-efficacy (F = 9.220; p < 0.005), and, particularly, in their self-efficacy in regulating learning (F = 12.942; p < 0.001). The students' adherence to the assigned practice could partially explain the effectiveness of the intervention. Conclusions: This study offers useful clues about the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions in the classroom in enhancing sense of belonging to a community, attention grounded in bodily sensations, and academic self-efficacy. Preregistration: This study is not preregistered.

An Empirical Investigation into Students' Actual Use of MOOCs in Saudi Arabia Higher Education

Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, are a type of educational innovation where enrollment in the courses given is free and available online. The MOOCs course selection is extensive and may accommodate hundreds or thousands of students at once. The current study, however, aims to look into how the academic self-efficacy of real MOOC users affects learning engagement and perseverance in higher education in Saudi Arabia. This study added the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to social cognitive theory. Therefore, the primary goal is to create a new model by examining the variables that affect the perceived utility and perceived service quality, as well as the students' general perceptions of MOOCs that are really used. Therefore, this research used a quantitative approach and distributed the questionnaire online through a Google Form. It collected data from 276 King Saud University students and used it to test the hypothesized correlations using structural equation modeling (SEM-PLS). The study's findings showed that perceptions of perceived benefits and service quality consistently had a significant influence on social interaction, influence, networks of support, and social identity. A further finding was that reported utility and perceived service quality have always been significantly influenced by academic self-efficacy in actual MOOC use. Because of this, learning engagement and perseverance in Saudi Arabian higher education are significantly impacted by the academic self-efficacy of real MOOC users. According to the findings, MOOC programs generally have a positive influence on the kingdom's higher education system. As a result, it is almost certain that this research model will assist university decision-makers in determining whether or not MOOC usage is prevalent at Saudi educational institutions.

Students' perceptions about electronic assessment and their relationships to learning styles and academic self-efficacy

The present study aimed to identify students' perceptions about electronic assessment and their relationships to learning styles and academic self-efficacy. The sample of the study consisted of 342 male and female students enrolled in the baccalaureate programs at Sultan Qaboos University for the second semester of the academic year 2019/2020. To achieve the goals of the study, three instruments were used after establishing their validity and reliability: Students' Perceptions about Electronic Assessment Questionnaire, Academic Self-Efficacy Beliefs Scale, and Preferred Learning Styles Scale. The results of the study showed that students had a neutral perception about electronic assessment and medium level of academic self-efficacy. Also, the results showed that the most preferred learning styles for students were in order: the participatory, competitive, and independent;whereas the least preferred learning styles for students were in order: the cooperative, dependent, and avoidant. Further, the results showed a mediating effect of academic self-efficacy in the relationship between some of the students' preferred learning styles and perceptions about electronic assessment, as well as a direct positive effect of the cooperative learning style on the perception of electronic assessment. The study came out with a set of recommendations and suggestions to enhance students' perceptions of electronic assessment. © 2022, An-Najah National University. All rights reserved.

The Influence of Academic Self-Efficacy on University Students' Academic Performance: The Mediating Effect of Academic Engagement

Challenges and competition are being faced in higher education. Students' unsatisfactory academic performance and dropouts are obvious problems worldwide. The "student-centered” pedagogy requires universities to pay attention to the needs of students. Research has demonstrated that academic self-efficacy is a positive psychological variable in the prevention of students becoming academically burnt out and withdrawing from their studies. By increasing academic engagement and improving academic performance, academic self-efficacy can reduce the dropout rates. This study attempted to achieve an in-depth comprehension of the nexus between academic self-efficacy and academic achievement among university students and the mediating role of academic engagement in the association between the two. A total of 258 participants were included in the cross-sectional study. The relationships among academic self-efficacy, academic engagement, and academic performance were examined using Pearson correlation coefficients. In order to examine the intermediating role of academic engagement in the relationship between academic self-efficacy and academic performance, a mediation analysis was applied. A favorable and strong correlation among academic self-efficacy, academic engagement, and academic performance was found in this study. Academic self-efficacy can be a direct predictor of academic achievement and can also be an indirect predictor of academic achievement via the intermediating effect of academic engagement. The findings of this study provide theoretical and practical recommendations for university researchers and administrators. The findings confirm the mediating role of academic engagement between academic self-efficacy and academic performance. The results provide universities with evidence for use in the design of projects and programs for the improvement of students' academic performance. Increasing the level of academic self-efficacy and enhancing academic engagement are of utmost importance for university students to maintain and improve their academic performance.

Investigating the role of academic, social, and emotional self-efficacy in online learning

Abstract Despite increased social and emotional challenges in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, little attention has been paid to students' social and emotional self-efficacy beliefs. The present study investigated university students' (N = 268) academic, social, and emotional self-efficacy beliefs as predictors of their academic achievement, sense of belonging, and well-being in online learning during the pandemic. We first evaluated the factor structure of the three types of self-efficacy. Results revealed that academic, social, and emotional self-efficacy beliefs were related yet distinct constructs. In the path model, gains in academic self-efficacy positively predicted students' academic achievement, whereas social self-efficacy and emotional self-efficacy positively predicted students' sense of belonging and well-being, respectively. In addition, students' mastery experience emerged as a significant predictor of longitudinal changes in academic self-efficacy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Socio-cognitive determinants of plagiarism intentions among university students during emergency online learning: Integrating emotional, motivational, and moral factors into theory of planned behavior

The exceptional circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 closures of campuses and emergency online learning have caused challenging circumstances on preserving academic integrity. Still, little is known about how the interplay between diverse contextual and psychological determinants influences beliefs and inclinations to plagiarism during online learning. The current study aims to understand better multiple factors that predict attitudes and intentions to commit plagiarism during and after the pandemic. To that end, an extended model based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) that examines the impact of socio-psychological, emotional, motivational, and ethical factors explaining plagiarism intentions was tested. The study applied a survey instrument to a sample of 435 undergraduate students from three universities in Oman. Using the Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the results showed that fear of COVID-19 significantly and positively impacted the plagiarism attitude. Academic self-efficacy significantly and negatively influenced attitudes to plagiarism. All TPB variables significantly influenced intention to plagiarize, including subjective norms, attitudes perceived behavioral control and past behavior, except moral obligation. The current study's findings contributed to theory advancement by extending TPB to examining antecedents to subjective norms toward plagiarism and emotional and motivational determinants of attitudes. Finally, the current study recommends practical and research implications for curbing digital plagiarism in higher education post to the pandemic. © 2023 The Author(s). This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.

Predictors of resilience of university students to educational stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study in Germany

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted educational systems worldwide, and various alarming effects of this crisis on university students' mental health have been reported. This study aimed to identify which factors, existing prior to the pandemic (summer term 2019), might be related to resilience when dealing with academic demands during the pandemic (summer term 2020). A sample of 443 university students took part in a longitudinal survey study at a large university in Germany. Resilience, defined as the level of adaptation to a stressor, was operationalized by modeling latent change scores of emotional exhaustion, depression, and somatization in the face of study stress. Multiple regression analyses were performed to analyze how potential facilitating and hindering factors were related to resilience demonstration while controlling for study stressors (workload, work complexity, and change in time spent studying). Academic self-efficacy was positively related to various forms of resilience demonstration, while competition was negatively related. Performance pressure was negatively related to only one form of resilience demonstration. No evidence was found for social support (from lecturers or fellow students) being positively related to the demonstration of resilience. This study confirms previous findings regarding relevant resilience factors such as self-efficacy. It also reveals unexpected aspects such as social support, and it indicates new constructs in resilience research in a university setting such as competition and performance pressure. Practical implications can be drawn from this research to benefit resilience promotion among students in preparation for challenging times. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Relationship between Anxiety, Depression and Learning Burnout of Nursing Undergraduates after the COVID-19 Epidemic: The Mediating Role of Academic Self-Efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Although cross-sectional studies on the learning status of nursing undergraduates during the COVID-19 epidemic have surged, few studies have explored the normalization of COVID-19 on students' learning burnout and mental health. The study was designed to investigate the learning burnout of nursing undergraduates in school under the normalization of the COVID-19 epidemic and explore the hypothesized mediation effect of academic self-efficacy in the relationship between anxiety, depression and learning burnout in Chinese nursing undergraduates. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among nursing undergraduates in the school of nursing of a university in Jiangsu Province, China (n = 227). A general information questionnaire, College Students' Learning Burnout Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale (PHQ-9) were administered. Descriptive statistical analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were performed via SPSS 26.0. Process plug-in (Model 4) was used to test the mediating effect of academic self-efficacy (bootstrap 5000 iterations, α = 0.05). RESULTS: Learning burnout (54.1 ± 0.656) was positively correlated with anxiety (4.6 ± 0.283) and depression (5.3 ± 0.366) (p < 0.01) and was negatively correlated with academic self-efficacy (74.41 ± 0.674) (p < 0.01). Academic self-efficacy plays a mediating role between anxiety and learning burnout (0.395/0.493, 80.12%) and a mediating role between depression and learning burnout (0.332/0.503, 66.00%). CONCLUSION: Academic self-efficacy has a significant predictive effect on learning burnout. Schools and teachers should strengthen the screening and counselling of students' psychological problems, detect learning burnout caused by emotional problems in advance and improve students' initiative and enthusiasm for learning.

Adaptability and emotional, behavioural and cognitive aspects of self-regulated learning: Direct and indirect relations with academic achievement and life satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: Adaptability regulates individuals' cognitive, behavioural and emotional responses to new, unexpected and uncertain situations, but to date no study has analysed whether adaptability contemporarily favours cognitive, behavioural and emotional aspects of learning. AIMS: This study aims to address this gap by examining (i) the direct relations between adaptability and achievement emotions, self-regulated learning strategies and academic self-efficacy and (ii) the direct and indirect relations between adaptability and academic achievement and life satisfaction through and over the other study-related factors. SAMPLE: A total of 1083 students (415 males, M age  = 13.37, SD age  = 1.97, age range = 10-18) in grades 6-12 participated to the study. METHOD: Questionnaires were used to measure students' adaptability, positive and negative achievement emotions, self-regulated learning strategies, academic self-efficacy and life satisfaction. Schools provided grades obtained by each student at the end of the academic year. RESULTS: A path analysis based on 1083 students (10-18 years old) confirmed that adaptability directly relates to the three study-related factors considered and to life satisfaction and indirectly relates to academic achievement and life satisfaction-through the mediation of the other variables. CONCLUSIONS: The results, discussed in accordance with the self-regulated learning theory, enlarge the nomological framework of adaptability and highlight its importance for emotional, behavioural and cognitive aspects of self-regulated learning.

The relationship between academic self-efficacy and class engagement of self-reported LD and ADHD in Israeli undergraduate students during COVID-19

The present study examined the academic self-efficacy (ASE) of undergraduate students with self-reported learning disabilities (LD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and comorbid LD + ADHD compared with non-LD/ADHD students at two time points, before the emergence of COVID-19 (pre-COVID) and during the pandemic (COVID-19). It also examined the relationship between ASE and engagement in remote learning (RL) classes during COVID-19. Participants were 621 undergraduate students with self-reported LD/ADHD (198) and without LD/ADHD (423) who were examined before (291) and during (330) the COVID-19 outbreak. First, we compared the ASE of the pre-COVID group vs. the COVID-19 group. This comparison revealed that ASE of all students (self-defined LD/ADHD and non-LD/ADHD) who studied during COVID-19 by RL was lower than that of students before COVID-19. Next, in-depth analyses among COVID-19 four subgroups (i.e., LD, ADHD, LD + ADHD, and students without disabilities) showed that both subgroups of students with ADHD reported lower ASE to cognitive operations than did students without LD/ADHD. In addition, the subgroup of students with ADHD were less engaged in RL classes than were students without LD/ADHD. Higher ASE to cognitive operations and social interactions was related to higher engagement in RL for all students. The results call for postsecondary institutions to increase their academic support of undergraduates with LD, ADHD, or both and to provide guidance in RL. © 2023, Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas, Sociais e da Vida.

Understanding University Students during COVID-19: A Longitudinal Mixed-Methods Analysis of Their Experiences of Online Learning, Mental Health, Academic Engagement, and Academic Self-Efficacy.

INTRODUCTION: Research has consistently demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic, and resulting sudden shift to online learning (OL), had detrimental impacts on the motivation and mental health of university students. To date however this research has been cross-sectional and quantitative. METHOD: This study employed a mixed-methods design to examine the experiences of students at a large national Australian University both at the outset of the pandemic in 2020 (n = 824) and again 6 months later (n = 254) at the conclusion of their academic year. RESULTS: Key findings from this study highlighted that despite quantitative findings suggesting poorer attitudes toward learning during the pandemic, qualitatively students perceived both positives and negatives to studying online. The qualitative results further highlighted that this experience was not the same for all and suggests the need to reconsider the standard approaches to offering support for students. CONCLUSION: Students reported poor mental health in both time points, but outlined avenues which improved not only their mental health but also their motivation for studying such as increased peer engagement and self-care activities. Students reported that OL negatively impacted on both their engagement with studies and their mental health, highlighting the need for universities to prioritize supporting their students' mental health as much as their development of academic skills.

The impact of distance education on nursing students course performance in a sino-foreign cooperative program during the onset of COVID-19: a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of COVID-19 changed many studies' teaching mode in higher education profoundly, including nursing. This study evaluated the impact of distance education on the course performance of nursing students in a nursing fundamentals course during the epidemic of COVID-19. METHODS: This is a comparative prospective and retrospective quasi-experimental study. Nursing students in a Sino-foreign cooperative program were allocated to either an intervention group (distance education, n = 48) or control group (face-to-face teaching, n = 36). A self-efficacy questionnaire, an academic engagement scale and grades of the final written examination were used to evaluate the students' self-efficacy, academic engagement and academic performance, respectively. The data in this study were analyzed by two independent sample t-tests and the Chi-square test. Students experiencing distance teaching had worse academic performance (p = 0.001) and lower levels of learning behavior self-efficacy (p<0.05). The total score of academic engagement (p = 0.04) for students experiencing distance teaching were significantly lower than the scores of those students in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: In the context of COVID-19, nursing students conducted using distance education had poor course performance.

Influences of Academic Self-Efficacy, Academic Procrastination and Digital Literacy for Online Learning

Online learning became a norm amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Sudden governmental movement control directives prohibited the gentle easing of students into online learning;and disregarded individual learning preferences. Despite that, it is still vital to understand student preferences to facilitate better adaptation and coping with online or blended learning courses. Therefore, a correlational study was designed to investigate preferences for online learning (POL) based on academic self-efficacy (ASE), academic procrastination (AP), and digital literacy (DL) levels. A total of 272 responses were analysed. Respondents were full-time undergraduates aged between 18 to 26 years (M = 20.8, SD = 1.38). Most were females (n=209, 76.5%) and had prior online learning experience (n = 221, 81.3%). The relationship between variables and group differences such as gender and prior experience were examined. Results showed all three study variables were related to POL in the anticipated direction. However, only DL was a significant predictor of POL. Males perceived higher levels of ASE and DL. Students with prior experience had a significantly higher POL. Findings implied that DL and prior experience were important factors in accepting online learning. Therefore, this study calls for a systematic approach to develop ICT skills and encourage exposure to short online classes before enrolment into tertiary education. © 2022 ACM.

Academic self-efficacy: Associations with self-reported COVID-19 symptoms, mental health, and trust in universities' management of the pandemic-induced university lockdown.

Objective: To investigate perceived changes in academic self-efficacy associated with self-reported symptoms of COVID-19, changes in mental health, and trust in universities' management of the pandemic and transition to remote education during lockdown of Swedish universities in the spring of 2020. Methods: 4495 participated and 3638 responded to self-efficacy questions. Associations were investigated using multinomial regression. Results: Most students reported self-experienced effects on self-efficacy. Lowered self-efficacy was associated with symptoms of contagion, perceived worsening of mental health and low trust in universities' capacity to successfully manage the lockdown and transition to emergency remote education. Increased self-efficacy was associated with better perceived mental health and high trust in universities. Conclusion: The initial phase of the pandemic was associated with a larger proportion of students reporting self-experienced negative effects on academic self-efficacy. Since self-efficacy is a predictor of academic performance, it is likely that students' academic performance will be adversely affected.