Learner Engagement and Satisfaction in the Online Mathematics Course: The Experience of a Private Philippine University

Abstract

Institutions of higher learning had to adopt a flexible learning delivery due to the threat of the global health crisis in 2020. Taking advantage of the technological affordances, many universities and colleges implemented the online learning modality. However, teachers and students found themselves overwhelmed with issues of quality assurance and outcomes of online teaching and learning. In this descriptive research study, the university students’ feedback on their engagement and satisfaction in the online mathematics courses was analyzed to get a perspective on successful online learning implementation. The mediation analysis on the responses of 512 university students on a 35-item researcher-made questionnaire showed that the university students were engaged and satisfied with their online mathematics courses. The design factor had a significant effect on learner engagement and satisfaction. The human factor has a significant impact on learner engagement but no significant effect on learner satisfaction. The structural equation model further revealed that learner engagement fully mediates the relationship between human factor and learner satisfaction while partially mediating the relationship between design and learner satisfaction. The results strongly assert the need for efficient and effective instructor knowledge and facilitation, more significant class interaction, and engaging use of technology in online mathematics courses to increase learner satisfaction.