The Effects Of Online Learning Goals On Learning Outcome Of College Students:the Role Of Teacher’s Interpersonal Behaviors And Learning Motivation

As the rapid development and wide application of online education,more and more students are taking online courses,therefore,how to ensure the quality of students’ online learning has attracted more and more attention.Self-determination theory focuses on how sociocultural factors promote or frustrate students’ motivational outcomes,in which teacher’s goal contents(intrinsic or extrinsic)and interpersonal behaviors(support or thwarting)are important factors that influence motivational outcomes.Goal contents reflect the outcome that the individual pursues,while interpersonal behaviors reflect the background characteristics of goals,such as the supporting or thwarting atmosphere.Therefore,this study used questionnaire and experimental methods to explore the relationship between students’ goal contents,perceived teacher’s interpersonal behaviors,learning motivation and online learning outcome.Studyl revised the questionnaire of students’ perceived interpersonal behaviors of online teachers.Results showed that the reliability and validity of this questionnaire meet the requirements of psychometrics,and it can be used to test whether the priming of teachers’ interpersonal behaviors are effective in subsequent studies.Study2 explored the goals priming effect and the interpersonal behaviors priming effect.Study2A used a two-factor between-subject experimental design,tested whether course instructions could successfully activate the target contents by presenting different online teaching goal contents in the form of text and video,and explored which target contents and presentation of forms had better priming effect on online learning motivation and learning engagement.The results showed that:(1)The course instructions could activate the importance of students’ perceived intrinsic and extrinsic goals;(2)The intrinsic motivation and learning engagement of students under the intrinsic goals condition were not significantly higher than those under the extrinsic goals condition;(3)The text presentation of forms could better activate the intrinsic motivation of students than the video presentation of forms,so in the subsequent studies,the text form will be used for the goals presentation.Study2B used a single-factor between-subject experimental design,tested whether the method of presenting other students’ assessments of online teachers’ interpersonal behaviors could successfully activate students’ perceived teachers’ interpersonal behaviors,and the relationship between perceived teachers’interpersonal behaviors,learning motivation and engagement.The results showed that:(1)The assessments of online teachers by other students activated students’ perceived teachers’ supportive and thwarting behaviors;(2)The intrinsic motivation and learning engagement of students under teacher support condition were significantly higher than those under teacher thwarting condition.Study3 used HTML to design online learning website,comprehensively considered the effects of online studying goal contents and students’ perceived interpersonal behaviors on academic outcomes,and discussed under which interpersonal atmosphere,the goal contents had the best effect on online academic outcomes.The results showed that:(1)The course goals introductions could activate the importance of students’intrinsic and extrinsic goals,but the students under intrinsic goals condition had no higher intrinsic motivation,learning engagement and academic performance than those under extrinsic goals condition;(2)The course assessments introductions could activate students’ perceived teacher support and thwarting,and students’ intrinsic motivation was higher in the teacher support condition than teacher thwarting condition;(3)Intrinsic motivation played a partial mediating role in the prediction of intrinsic goals on online learning engagement of college students;(4)Intrinsic motivation played a fully mediating role in the prediction of intrinsic goals on online transfer performance of college students;(5)Teacher thwarting could moderate the direct path of intrinsic goals to learning engagement.The higher the level of teacher thwarting,the greater the predictive effect of intrinsic goals on learning outcomes.In conclusion,this study shows that:(1)Students’ perceived interpersonal behaviors questionnaire has good reliability and validity in the context of online learning;(2)The goal contents’ activation is effective but the effect size is small.It is not found that intrinsic goals more than extrinsic goals can promote the intrinsic motivation,learning engagement and academic performance of college students;(3)Interpersonal behaviors instruction are activated effectively,and college students’ intrinsic motivation in online learning is higher under teacher support condition;(4)Intrinsic goals of online learning positively influence learning engagement through intrinsic motivation;Intrinsic goals of online learning negatively affect transfer performance through intrinsic motivation;(5)Teachers’ thwarting behaviors play a moderating role in the direct path from intrinsic goals to learning engagement.When the level of teacher thwarting behaviors is higher,the influence of intrinsic goals on learning engagement is enhanced.