Multitasking Behavior in Online Classrooms and Academic Performance: Case of University Students in Ecuador during COVID-19 Outbreak

• Published in: Interactive Technology and Smart Education 2021-10, Vol.18 (3), p.422-434
• Main Authors: Alvarez-Risco, Aldo, Estrada-Merino, Alfredo, Anderson-Seminario, María de las Mercedes, Mlodzianowska, Sabina, García-Ibarra, Verónica, Villagomez-Buele, Cesar, Carvache-Franco, Mauricio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Behavior; Classrooms; College Students; Colleges & universities; Communicable Diseases; Construct Validity; Coronaviruses; Correlation; COVID-19; Distance Education; Distance learning; Educational Technology; Electronic Learning; Foreign Countries; Independent Study; Influence; Instructional Effectiveness; Interpersonal Relationship; Learning Activities; Least Squares Statistics; Likert Scales; Literature Reviews; Multitasking; Multivariate statistical analysis; Online Courses; Online instruction; Pandemics; Questionnaires; Reliability; Research Methodology; School Closing; Self Efficacy; Self Management; Social networks; Structural Equation Models; Student Attitudes; Student Behavior; Student retention; Students; Teaching Methods; Time Management; Undergraduate Students; University students; Validity; Variables; Virtual Classrooms
• ISSN: 1741-5659; 1758-8510
• DOI: 10.1108/ITSE-08-2020-0160

Purpose: This paper aims to explore university students' multitasking behavior in online classrooms and their influence on academic performance. Also, the study examined students' opinions. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 302 university students fulfilled an online survey. Ten questions were focused on demographic information, five items evaluated online class behavior of students, 9 items evaluated self-efficacy and four items measured academic performance. Findings: Multitasking behavior was found to negatively influence self-efficacy of -0.332, whereas self-efficacy showed a positive influence of 0.325 on academic performance. Cronbach's alpha and average variance extracted values were 0.780 and 0.527 (multitasking behavior), 0.875 and 0.503 (self-efficacy), 0.781 and 0.601 (academic performance). Outcomes of the bootstrapping test showed that the path coefficients are significant. Originality/value: The research findings may help university managers understand undergraduates' online and face-to-face behavior and strategies to improve the behavior to ensure the best academic outcomes. The novelty is based on using the partial least square structural equation modeling technique.