Examining the Mediating Effect of Open Distance Learning Students' Study Engagement in Relation to Their Life Orientation and Self-Efficacy

Abstract

This study reports on the mediating effect of study engagement (measured by an adapted version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale) in relation to students' life orientation (measured by the Orientation to Life Questionnaire) and their self-efficacy (measured by the Self-efficacy Scale). Participants included a non-probability sample of 127 predominantly early career (25-40 years), employed blacks and females enrolled for third year level ODL undergraduate studies in Industrial and Organisational Psychology. A quantitative survey design was followed, collecting primary data. Data analyses consisted of an analysis of correlations and three simple mediational models. The results revealed significant direct and indirect effects between the variables. Study engagement positively mediated the relationship between life orientation and self-efficacy. These findings contribute new knowledge that inform the design of learning and assessment activities aimed at enhancing ODL students' sense of the comprehensibility and meaningfulness of their studies, their engagement in their studies and beliefs about their capability to be successful in their studies.

The relation of cognitive learning strategies to psychosocial employability attributes amongst black adult learners in the economic and management sciences field

“…The positive relation between the participants' factual practical learning strategies and their self-efficacy, career resilience and proactivity may be attributed to the proposition made by Dooley, Linden and Dooley (2005) that learning seems to improve when learners have the opportunity to practise and experiment with what and how they learn. Experiential learning increases learners' levels of active study engagement (Robinson, 2006), which, in turn, has been shown to enhance their confidence in their abilities to successfully perform and persevere in complicated situations (Coetzee & Oosthuizen, 2013). Using practical factual information to solve problems and make decisions that apply to real-world situations also increases adult learners' sense of self-directedness and intrinsic learning motivation (Coetzee & Botha 2013).…”

“…Self-efficacy beliefs help determine how much effort people will expend on an activity, how long they will persevere when confronting obstacles and how resilient they will prove to be in the face of adverse and stressful situations: the higher the sense of self-efficacy, the greater the effort, persistence and resilience (Coetzee & Oosthuizen, 2013;Pajares, 1996). The positive relation between the participants' factual practical learning strategies and their self-efficacy, career resilience and proactivity may be attributed to the proposition made by Dooley, Linden and Dooley (2005) that learning seems to improve when learners have the opportunity to practise and experiment with what and how they learn.…”