Self-efficacy in Online Learning Environment as Antecedent Factor on Students' Academic Misconduct: A TPB Model

Abstract

COVID-19 disrupted the education sector and led educational managers to adapt to the flexible and online learning environment. One of the primary concerns among educators in online learning is the control and prevention of academic misconduct, especially during learning assessment. This paper aimed to examine how self-efficacy in online learning form part and overall variations of attitude toward academic misconduct using Ajzen’s (1985) empirically-driven model of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). A sample of 1,248 college students in the Visayas region in the Philippines voluntarily took part in the survey. Covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) was used to test the proposed model. Results revealed that among eight (8) hypothesized paths, six (6) were found significant. Attitude toward cheating directly explains students' behavioral intentions to cheat. Self-efficacy beliefs towards achieving goals in an online learning environment inversely affect subjective norms and directly affect perceived behavioral control. Additionally, the multigroup variable, type of school (i.e., public and private), moderates the association of behavioral control and intention. These variances have not been accounted for in the context of academic misconduct in an online learning environment. The study concluded that teachers' pedagogical skills must include moral orientation to remind learners of their moral obligation towards genuine learning