An investigation of the relationship between E-learning interactions components, information technology (IT) self-efficacy, students’ achievement and students’ retention at the University of Sains Malaysia (USM)

Abstract

This study attempts to fill a gap in the literature and theoretically will investigate the literature pertaining to information technology (IT) self-efficacy and online interaction components related to students’ retention and students’ achievement. It equally investigates the relationship between online interaction components (student-student interaction, student-instructor interaction and student-content interaction), students’ achievement and students’ retention and IT self-efficacy, students’ retention and students’ achievement. In this connection, the relationship between online interaction components, IT self- efficacy and students’ achievement and students’ retention will be investigated. The participants of this study will be undergraduate students at University Sains Malaysia (USM) who are currently enrolled in an online interaction course. The study will use structural equation modelling and the Rasch measurement model to analyse the data. The study theoretically anticipates strong links between exogenous variables and endogenous variables, in order to exhibit positive correlation with the hypothesised model. At the same time the hypothesised model expects a positive correlation between the relationship between online interaction components, IT self- efficacy and students’ achievement and students’ retention. The contribution of this study will be in the relationship between the variables of a hypothesised model pertaining to the past literature.