Does Interaction Quality Enhance Motivation Among Online Postsecondary Students? Exploring the Mediating Role of Anxiety

Moatasim A. Barri

doi:10.19173/irrodl.v27i3.9468

Authors

Moatasim A. Barri Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9870-2056

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v27i3.9468

Keywords:

online learning, anxiety, motivation, interaction quality, postsecondary education

Abstract

The literature has highlighted the importance of engaging students in online learning through multiple forms of interaction: student-content, student-instructor, and student-student interactions. While the quality of interaction plays a significant role in either enhancing or undermining students’ motivation to learn, anxiety has remained a persistent challenge. Limited research has examined the indirect relationships between each of the three forms of interaction and motivation through the lens of anxiety. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of anxiety in the relationships between the forms of interaction quality and student motivation in university-level online courses. Data were collected from 140 students via an online survey, and multiple procedures ensured instrument validity. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate research hypotheses. The research model revealed a good fit with the collected data based on the recommended goodness-of-fit indices. Findings revealed that anxiety fully mediated the relationships between student-content and student-instructor interactions and motivation, and partially mediated the relationship between student-student interaction and motivation. These results suggested that instructors should carefully consider the quality of all three types of interaction when designing and delivering online courses, with the goal of reducing students’ anxiety and supporting their motivation to learn.

Author Biography

Moatasim A. Barri, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia

Moatasim A. Barri is an assistant professor of curriculum and teaching at Taibah University in Medina, Saudi Arabia. He earned his PhD and Master of Science degrees from the University of Kansas. His research focuses on the effective design of online instruction and the integration of digital technologies to enhance teaching and learning.

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