Effects of regulatory focus on online learning engagement of high school students: The mediating role of self‐efficacy and academic emotions

Abstract Background Since the outbreak of COVID‐19, online courses have been extensively used from K‐12 to higher education. Online learning engagement, an important factor in online learning success, is currently at a low level in high school. Meanwhile, the research on the factors that influence high school students' online learning engagement is still limited. Objectives Based on the theories of regulatory focus and value control, this study developed a multi‐mediation model to investigate whether self‐efficacy and academic emotions can mediate the relationship between regulatory focus and online learning engagement. Methods A total of 926 high school student (52.16% female, mean age = 16.47 years) were recruited to participate in this study and completed self‐report measures of regulatory focus, online learning engagement, online learning self‐efficacy and academic emotions. And we used SPSS macro PROCESS developed by Hayes to examine the mediating role of online learning self‐efficacy and academic emotions. Results and Conclusions The results indicated that promotion focus had a stable positive effect on online learning engagement of high school students, whereas prevention focus had a significant negative effect on the same. Self‐efficacy and positive emotions had a significant positive mediating effect between promotion focus and online learning engagement. Moreover, positive emotions had a significant positive mediating effect between the prevention focus and online learning engagement, while negative emotions had a significant negative mediating effect between them.