Predictors of CELPAD students' satisfaction in using the learning management system for learning academic English

Abstract

The study was conducted to achieve four objectives: (1) to examine the underlying structure of CELPAD teachers’ use of the LMS; (2) to identify CELPAD students’ perception of their teachers’ use of the LMS in three aspects, namely instructional strategies, communication and content sharing; (3) to examine the extent of CELPAD students’ satisfaction in using the LMS for learning academic English; and (4) to know the predictors of students’ satisfaction in using the LMS. Following the ex-post facto research design, a cross-sectional survey was administered to local and international undergraduate students who were learning academic English at the IIUM’s Center for Languages and Pre-University Academic Development (CELPAD). The respondents were 288 undergraduates aged between 19 and 40 who were selected into the study via quota sampling. A 29-item self-developed questionnaire measuring the three constructs—the instructional strategies used by CELPAD lecturers, communication, and content sharing—was administered online via Google Form. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), descriptive statistics and Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA) were used to analyse the data. The EFA results showed that the three constructs constituted a valid and reliable underlying structure of CELPAD teachers’ use of the LMS. Based on the descriptive results, communication was the most utilized LMS feature, followed by content sharing and instructional strategies. For communication, lecturers used the LMS mostly for posting announcements, giving feedback, and building rapport with students. In terms of teaching, students perceived their lecturers to use three major instructional strategies on the LMS, i.e., peer evaluation, exploration activities and case studies. The MRA results produced two significant predictors of students’ satisfaction, namely communication and content sharing, while instructional strategies did not significantly predict satisfaction. The results suggest that the University should leverage the usage of the LMS to facilitate online learning, especially the asynchronous mode. This is to provide uninterrupted education during the pandemic and promote among students greater learning satisfaction and the spirit of lifelong learning.