The Relationship Between Help-Seeking Determinants and Help-Seeking Behavior Online

Rina Levy Cohen, Fordham University

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between common classroom help-seeking determinants (achievement goals, self-efficacy, prior knowledge, gender, and help-seeking perceptions) and help-seeking behaviors online (hint use percentage, latency of help seeking, answer attempt percentage, feedback level percentage, and seeking help after making an error). Participants (N = 408) responded to a survey and solved math problems in the interactive learning environment ASSISTments. The survey consisted of 42 items that assessed participant math achievement goals, self-efficacy, and gender. Students’ help-seeking behaviors and math prior knowledge scores were received in the form of log file data from ASSISTments and anonymized. In all five regression models, achievement goals, self-efficacy, prior knowledge, and help-seeking perceptions served as predicting variables. A different dependent variable (hint use percentage, latency between hint requests, help after error, feedback amount, and answer attempt count) was regressed on those predictors in each model. Results suggested that math prior knowledge was a positive predictor of help-seeking latency and a negative predictor of seeking help after making an error. Prior knowledge was a negative predictor, whereas self-esteem was a positive predictor of hint use percentage. Finally, one of the hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed an interaction effect of self-efficacy and prior knowledge. The results of a simple slope analysis showed that prior knowledge had no effect on feedback level percentage when self-efficacy was high. Implications and future research are discussed.

Subject Area

Educational technology|Educational psychology

Recommended Citation

Cohen, Rina Levy, "The Relationship Between Help-Seeking Determinants and Help-Seeking Behavior Online" (2022). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI29992963.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI29992963

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