Relationships Among Online Students' Internal Help-Seeking Factors, Environmental Factors, Participation in Help-Seeking, and Achievement

• In Event: Equity, Inclusion, and Technology

Abstract

Help seeking has traditionally been studied in the classroom setting using self-report instruments measuring learners’ internal factors related to help seeking (e.g., perceived benefits and threats). Much less is known about help seeking in online education. Further, external environment factors such as a positive climate were found contributing to academic performance. Taking advantage of the traceable data from a large online class, this study simultaneously modeled the structural relationships among online students’ internal help-seeking factors, external class climate, self-reported engagement and actual participation in help seeking, and course grades. Internal learner factors did not significantly impact students’ participation in help seeking, whereas class climate had a significant impact on course grades through the mediation of students’ participation in peer help.

Authors

• Kun Huang, University of Kentucky
  Presenting Author

• Victor Law, University of New Mexico
  Presenting Author

• Anita Lee-Post, University of Kentucky
  Presenting Author