Abstract

The outbreak of the global pandemic has changed the education landscape and made online learning the new normal. Hence, this research aims to examine the individual related factors (i.e., influence of locus of control and self-regulation) and perceived task value on online learning motivation among Malaysian undergraduate students. There were 200 local undergraduates from both public and private higher education institutions engaged in current study. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed for data analysis. The results established that internal locus of control, self-regulation and perceived task value have a significant positive relationship with online learning motivation, whereas external locus of control has a significant negative correlation with online learning motivation. The empirical findings of current study provide insights to the local higher education institutions and educators to understand the important factors in helping students stay motivated in their online studies. In addition, the study seeks to enhance awareness and effectiveness of online learning mode in local higher education institutions as part of complementary strategies to the existing learning and teaching approach.