Abstract:

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning has become the new normal in vocational and technical education (VTE). Despite the importance of engagement and self-efficacy in practical skills training, little is known about how students' technology-enhanced learning (TEL) usage experiences and self-efficacy as a mediator can influence their level of engagement in practical skills training (EPST). This highlights a significant gap in both theoretical and empirical knowledge that should be systematically investigated. Thus, the current study examined the predictive influence of students' TEL usage on cognitive, behavioral, and emotional engagement in practical skills and the mediating role of eLearning self-efficacy in the relationship. A cross-sectional design was utilized in this study. Data were collected from 308 VTE students across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria at three different time points. The study found that TEL usage was positively associated with cognitive, behavioral, and emotional engagement. Additionally, TEL usage was positively associated with VTE students' eLearning self-efficacy, and students' eLearning self-efficacy was positively associated with cognitive, behavioral, and emotional engagement. eLearning self-efficacy was found to mediate the relationship between TEL usage and engagement in practical skills. While the influence of TEL usage in teaching and learning is well-documented in the literature, research has lacked an understanding of the relationship between TEL usage and engagement in practical skills, as well as how students' eLearning self-efficacy may mediate these associations. This study fills a TEL literature gap by shedding light on the mediating influence of eLearning self-efficacy on engagement in practical skills in a previously underexplored context.

Keywords:

Technology enhanced learning, Practical skills training, Vocational and Technical Education, Self-efficacy, Engagement.