Mediating Effects of College Students’ Autonomous Motivation and Self-Efficacy in the Relations between Perceived Supportive Teaching-Learning Environment and Core Competencies

Abstract

Objectives The purpose of this study was to test the structural relations among the factors that influence college students’ core competencies such as problem-solving competency and self-directed learning competency. Specifically, supportive teaching-learning environment was composed of faculty-student interaction, effective instructional practices, peer relations, staff-student relations, and on-campus support services. This study was conducted to test mediating effects of college students’ autonomous motivation and self-efficacy in the relations between each of the perceived supportive teaching-learning environment factors and core competencies.
 Methods Five-hundred eight students who were attending C University in G City participated in this study. Data analyses were conducted through the structural equation modeling and bootstrapping procedure using SPSS 25.0 and Amos 25.
 Results The direct effects of the perceived supportive teaching-learning environment on core competencies were not significant. However, some of the perceived supportive teaching-learning environment factors influenced college students’ core competencies through the mediation of autonomous motivation or self-efficacy or both. The mediating effects of autonomous motivation were found to be significant in the relations of faculty-student interaction, staff-student relations, and on-campus support services to core competencies. The mediating effect of self-efficacy was found to be significant only in the relation of peer relations to core competencies. Also, the serial mediating effects of autonomous motivation and self-efficacy were significant in the relations of faculty- student interaction, staff-student relations, and on-campus support services to core competencies.
 Conclusions The results of this study have significance in that the perceived supportive teaching-learning environment may not directly influence college students’ core competencies but may indirectly influence core competencies through the mediation of autonomous motivation and self-efficacy. Efforts have to be made not only to improve supportive teaching-learning environment but also to enhance college students’ autonomous motivation and self-efficacy.ect