Scrutinizing the interactions between college students' cyberloafing levels, reasons of cyberloafing, and academic self-efficacy by path analysis

Abstract

The development of web-based technologies and mobile devices, as well as their widespread usage, create favorable conditions for cyberloafing behaviors, raising the effects of cyberloafing in educational settings. The current study, which examined the behavioral levels and reasons of cyberloafing committed by college students in lectures, as well as its relationship and interaction with academic self-efficacy, aims to reveal latent and observed relationships between cyberloafing factors through path analysis using a quantitative method. A total of 1245 college students [nfemale=713, (57.3%); nmale=532, (42.7%)] from various faculties who were instructed online via learning management systemsvolunteered to participate in the study. The findings of the path analysis of the structured model, which were assessed using the scales of cyberloafing, reasons of cyberloafing behavior levels, and levels of academic self-efficacy, were wellfit and validated. When the interactions of the factors of the verified model are examined, it is seen that Real-Time Updating is affected by Sharing and Gaming or Gambling, and Instructor-Induced Reasons affected by Motivation. Additionally, Motivation and Instructor-Induced Reasons are affected by Accessing Online Content; Learner Attitudes affected by Shopping, Sharing, and Real-Time Updating; and Real-Time Updating affected by Learner Attitudes, Motivation, Instructor-Induced Reasons, Sharing, and Gaming or Gambling factors. Furthermore, while Academic Self- Efficacy Factor is affected by Motivation and Gaming or Gambling factors, Real-Time Updating affects Learner Attitudes. The current study's findings reveal the reasons of the occurrence of cyberloafing behaviors in computer-based learning settings and the significance of academic self-efficacy.