Factors Influencing Student Engagement in Online Learning at Universities
Keywords:
Student engagement, Online learning, Self-regulation, Instructional design, Higher educationAbstract
This study aims to examine the factors influencing student engagement in online learning at universities. The main problem addressed in this study is the low and uneven level of student engagement in online classes, especially in terms of participation, motivation, interaction, and self-regulated learning. This study used a quantitative approach with a survey design. The participants were 240 undergraduate students at STAI Haji Agus Salim who had participated in online learning for at least two semesters. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire based on five main variables: self-regulation, instructional design, academic social interaction, technological readiness, and institutional support. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression. The findings show that self-regulation, instructional design, academic social interaction, technological readiness, and institutional support have a positive and significant effect on student engagement in online learning. Among these factors, instructional design and self-regulation were the strongest predictors of student engagement. These results indicate that student engagement in online learning is shaped by both individual learning capacity and the quality of the digital learning environment. The study concludes that universities need to strengthen interactive instructional design, improve digital infrastructure, provide consistent platform support, and help students develop self-regulated learning skills. This study contributes to the development of online learning theory and offers practical implications for improving student engagement in higher education.
References
Azila-Gbettor, E. M., Abiemo, M. K., & Glate, S. N. (2023). University support and online learning engagement during the COVID-19 period: The role of student vitality. Heliyon, 9(1), e12832. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e12832
Baloran, E. T., & Hernan, J. T. (2021). Course satisfaction and student engagement in online learning amid COVID-19 pandemic: A structural equation model. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 22(4), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.17718/tojde.1002721
Bedi, A. (2023). Keep learning: Student engagement in an online environment. Online Learning, 27(2), 119–136. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i2.3287
Castellanos-Reyes, D. (2024). The evolution of social presence: A longitudinal exploration of online learning experiences in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 60, 100925.
Deng, Z. (2025). Exploring the impact of online education on student engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1574886. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1574886
Dong, X., Liu, S., & Zheng, X. (2024). Factors influencing college students’ self-regulated learning in online learning environments: A systematic review. Nurse Education Today, 132, 106002.
Edumadze, J. K. E. (2024). Fostering student engagement in blended MOOC learning: A case study of university students in a developing country. Smart Learning Environments, 11, 29.
El-Sayad, G., Md Saad, N. H., & Thurasamy, R. (2021). How higher education students in Egypt perceived online learning engagement and satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Computers in Education, 8(4), 527–550. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40692-021-00191-y
Fabian, K., Smith, S., Taylor-Smith, E., & Meharg, D. (2022). Identifying factors influencing study skills engagement and participation for online learners in higher education during COVID-19. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(6), 1915–1936. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13221
Fu, J., Li, X., & Yi, F. (2024). The influence of motivation climate on university student engagement in distance education during the pandemic: Moderating role of self-regulation. Psychology in the Schools, 61(5), 2148–2159. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.23158
Gamage, K. A., Perera, D. S., & Wijewardena, M. D. N. (2021). Mentoring and coaching as a learning technique in higher education: The impact of learning context on student engagement in online learning. Education Sciences, 11(10), 574. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11100574
Getenet, S., Tualaulelei, E., Singh, N., Pillay, Y., & Hammermeister, K. A. (2025). Interactive technologies and student engagement in online higher education: A multidimensional analysis. Technology, Pedagogy and Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2025.2498483
Gherghel, C., Yasuda, S., & Kita, Y. (2023). Interaction during online classes fosters engagement with learning and self-directed study both in the first and second years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Computers & Education, 200, 104795. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2023.104795
Gopinathan, S., Kaur, A. H., Veeraya, S., & Raman, M. (2022). The role of digital collaboration in student engagement towards enhancing student participation during COVID-19. Sustainability, 14(11), 6844. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116844
Heidari, E., Mehrvarz, M., Marzooghi, R., & Stoyanov, S. (2021). The role of digital informal learning in the relationship between students’ digital competence and academic engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 37(4), 1154–1166. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12553
Heikkinen, S., Malmberg, J., & Järvelä, S. (2025). A longitudinal study of interplay between student engagement and self-regulated learning in online learning. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 22, 23.
Heo, H., Bonk, C. J., & Doo, M. Y. (2021). Enhancing learning engagement during COVID-19 pandemic: Self-efficacy in time management, technology use, and online learning environments. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 37(6), 1640–1652. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12603
Hollister, B., Nair, P., Hill-Lindsay, S., & Chukoskie, L. (2022). Engagement in online learning: Student attitudes and behavior during COVID-19. Frontiers in Education, 7, 851019. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.851019
Hu, J., Wang, X., & Zhang, Y. (2025). What are the influencing factors of online learning engagement from learners’ perspective? Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1542652. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1542652
Huang, Y., & Wang, S. (2023). How to motivate student engagement in emergency online learning? Evidence from the COVID-19 situation. Higher Education, 85(5), 1101–1123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00880-2
Iqbal, J., Asghar, M. Z., Ashraf, M. A., & Yi, X. (2022). The impacts of emotional intelligence on students’ study habits in blended learning environments: The mediating role of cognitive engagement during COVID-19. Behavioral Sciences, 12(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12010014
Kara, M. (2022). Revisiting online learner engagement: Exploring the role of learner characteristics in an emergency period. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 54(sup1), S236–S252. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2021.1891997
Kaspar, K., Burtniak, K., & Rüth, M. (2024). Online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: How university students’ perceptions, engagement, and performance are related to their personal characteristics. Current Psychology, 43, 16711–16730. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04403-9
Kedia, P., & Mishra, L. (2023). Exploring the factors influencing the effectiveness of online learning: A study on college students. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 8(1), 100559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100559
Koob, C., Schröpfer, K., Coenen, M., Kus, S., & Schmidt, N. (2021). Factors influencing study engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study among health and social professions students. PLOS ONE, 16(7), e0255191. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255191
Kristiana, I. F., Prihatsanti, U., Simanjuntak, E., & Widayanti, C. G. (2023). Online student engagement: The overview of higher education in Indonesia. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 24(3), 34–53. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v24i3.7125
Limbu, Y. B., & McKinley, C. (2025). Factors associated with student engagement in online learning during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review. Online Learning, 29(1), 293–325. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v29i1.4221294
Miao, J., & Ma, L. (2022). Students’ online interaction, self-regulation, and learning engagement in higher education: The importance of social presence to online learning. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 815220. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.815220
Roque-Hernández, R. V., Díaz-Roldán, J. L., López-Mendoza, A., & Salazar-Hernández, R. (2023). Instructor presence, interactive tools, student engagement, and satisfaction in online education during the COVID-19 Mexican lockdown. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(5), 2841–2854. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2021.1912112
Salas-Pilco, S. Z., Yang, Y., & Zhang, Z. (2022). Student engagement in online learning in Latin American higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(3), 593–619. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13190
Shah, S. S., Shah, A. A., Memon, F., Kemal, A. A., & Soomro, A. (2021). Online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Applying the self-determination theory in the new normal. Revista de Psicodidáctica (English Edition), 26(2), 168–177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psicoe.2020.12.003
Xue, Y. (2023). A review of higher education students’ online engagement under the COVID-19 pandemic. SHS Web of Conferences, 157, 02003. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202315702003
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Titi Hendrawati, Suherman (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.




