Students Engagement in Science during Covid-19 Pandemic: Role of Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Achievement Goals

Abstract

This study investigated the relationships among achievement goals, self-efficacy beliefs, and engagement in science during COVID-19. Distance education was launched due to COVID-19, and there is a need to examine these relations in the online science learning context. Participants were 448 students between 5th and 8th graders receiving distance education for eight months. Path analysis indicated mastery-approach goals and particular self-efficacy aspects positively predicted student engagement. Science communication and conceptual understanding have become prominent among self-efficacy aspects, while higher-order cognitive skills were unrelated to student engagement. Also, negative linkages were identified between performance-approach goals, emotional engagement, cognitive engagement, and performance-avoidance goals. The variance explained in the engagement components ranged from 47% to 60%. Some of the participants’ engagement and motivation in science were negatively affected by distance education. Suggestions were made to foster students’ engagement and motivation in distance science education.

The Prediction of Science Achievement With Science Identity and Science Learning Self-Efficacy Among China’s Upper-Secondary Students

“…Empirical studies substantiate this connection between science self-efficacy and achievement using varied designs and samples (Kurt & Taş, 2023;Yusuf & Mai, 2021). In an experiment by Bryant et al (2013), students received instruction aimed at boosting their self-efficacy over the course of an upper-secondary biology class.…”