| Online high schools provide alternatives for non-graduates opting to return to school, yet student attrition from these programs is a known problem. Internet-Based Learning Self-Efficacy (IBLSE) is a construct used to indicate student self-belief in the ability to succeed in an online course or online learning activity. IBLSE influences student persistence in online courses, yet non-graduates often have low self-efficacy due to previous negative school experiences. Despite a lack of research on student experiences within online high schools, investment in these programs continues. This research gap presents a problem, as educational stakeholders are unable to leverage data to inform programming decisions and reduce student attrition. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived student experiences of IBLSE and persistence in an online high school, in an effort to provide stakeholders with this necessary data. Self-efficacy theory served as the study's framework and as a lens to evaluate findings. Purposive sampling identified five individuals who completed at least three courses at Career Online High School or who graduated within the past year. Phenomenological techniques of epoche, reduction, and imaginative variation helped identify the shared essences of the phenomenon under review. A coding process allowed for detailed data analysis and the identification and interpretation of common themes. Eleven major composite themes were identified from the interview data: perseverance and resilience, diploma required for future goals/understand the importance of education on success, high level of IBLSE, self-regulated learner, sense of responsibility to others, support, self-advocacy, belief in a higher power, and the following participant-identified self-efficacy sources: performance accomplishment, verbal persuasion and vicarious experience. Findings demonstrated alignment with the hypothesized sources of self-efficacy and to concepts of self-regulated learning, expectancy, and adult learning theories. Findings also aligned with research on IBLSE and the achievement of student goals, course performance, course satisfaction and persistence in the online learning environment. Study findings aligned with research on online high school best practices as well as research on common student challenges in online learning environments. Results contributed to understanding the factors that promote student IBLSE and persistence in online high schools. This study assists educational stakeholders in understanding and supporting student IBLSE and persistence in online high school environments. |
