The Relations Between Motivational Beliefs, Academic Delay, and Academic Achievement in Online Learning Environments

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relations between motivational beliefs, academic delay, and academic achievement in an online science course. The sample included one hundred and sixty-eight undergraduate students. We extracted data on timestamps for assignment submissions from the learning management system to capture students’ behavioral delay for each assignment over the course of the semester. Using multilevel modeling, the results showed that the relation between academic delay and academic achievement was moderated by motivational beliefs. The negative effect of momentary delay on academic achievement depended on academic self-efficacy, while the negative effect of habitual delay on academic achievement depended on emotional cost. These findings point out that academic delay is not always harmful. Lateness in online courses is particularly detrimental to demotivated students but less consequential for motivated counterparts. Simply focusing on academic delay without considering who is engaging in the dilatory behavior could be misleading for intervention.