The Impact of Perceived Stress on the Online Learning Self-Efficacy of Psychology Students Registered at a South African Tertiary Institution

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdown resulted in the closure of South African tertiary institutions. In response, these institutions turned to online distance education to continue with academic programs. The successful completion of the academic year via online learning (OL) requires students to possess a degree of online learning self-efficacy (OLSE). OLSE refers to an individuals’ confidence in their ability to successfully complete an OL task and requires both academic and computer self-efficacy. The existing body of knowledge shows that OLSE both influences and is influenced by the individual’s perceived stress (PS). This research study aimed to determine if PS impacts OLSE, amongst a sample of second-year psychology students at a local South African tertiary institution. This was achieved by means of a quantitative research approach, using a survey research design. The researcher assessed whether differing levels of PS had an impact on the OLSE of a group of undergraduate psychology students (n =103). To determine the participant’s level of PS and OLSE, participants were required to complete the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and the Online Learning Self-Efficacy Scale (OLSES). Data were analysed using correlation analysis and an independent samples t-test. The results from the correlation analysis indicated that the negative relationship between PS and OLSE was weak and not statistically significant. The independent samples t-test results demonstrated no statistically significant differences in the OLSE scores between participants with low levels of PS and participants with high levels of PS. The study concludes that PS does not significantly impact the OLSE ability of the current study sample.