Effects of Online Education on Nursing Students' Learning Motives, Academic Self-Efficacy, and Self-Directed Learning Ability

Abstract

Considering the characteristics of the COVID-19 RNA virus with many mutations, there is a significant possibility that the online class method will continue for an extended period. This study aims to establish a teaching and learning strategy for online education by identifying its effects on learning motives, academic self-efficacy, and self-directed learning ability of nursing students.  The subjects of the study were 202 nursing students  who had completed more than one semester of online classes. The data collection period was from November 1 to November 20, 2020. The results of this study are as follows: grade in last semester (β=-.171, p=.001), confidence in online classes (β=.113, p=.019), and self-directed learning ability (β=.619, p<.001) were significant predictors of learning motives, explaining 62.0% of them (F=42.826, p<.001). For academic self-efficacy, satisfaction with home life (β=.157, p=.006), preference for online classes (β=-.143, p=.017), and self-directed learning ability (β=.4, p<.001) were significant predictors, and explained 38.6% of learning motives (F=19.028, p<.001). In self-directed learning ability, satisfaction with the nursing major (β=.136, p=.013), learning motives (β=.209, p<.001), and academic self-efficacy (β=.209, p<.001) were significant predictors, and explained 62.4% of learning motives (F=42.641, p<.001). Therefore, it is necessary to develop a teaching and learning program that maps out strategies to improve learning motives, academic self-efficacy, and self-directed learning methods for nursing students in online classes.