An investigation on the influencing issues of students’ engagement in online learning in Hebei province

With the rapid advancement of information technology and science in the digital era, combine with the catalytic effects of the recent pandemic, online education has emerged as the mainstream model for the future of school education. While online teaching offers significant advantages, its implementation also presents challenges, notably student fatigue and a lack of engagement. If the root causes of these issues are not identified and addressed promptly, they can negatively impact students' physical and mental well-being, as well as classroom efficiency and teaching quality. This paper employs the classical management theoretical framework, Stressors- Strain-Outcome (SSO), to investigate the issues contributing to students' fatigue and disengagement in online learning. A quantitative research methodology was adopted, with data collected through questionnaires distributed to four colleges and universities in Hebei Province. Simple sampling was utilized, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results, analyzed using SPSS and Smart PLS, indicate that various issues encountered by students in online learning, such as course-related, system-related, social, and instructor-related challenges, positively influence students' engagement across emotional, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions. Fatigue was identified as a strain variable influencing the relationship between these issues and student engagement, the challenges faced by students increase fatigue, which in turn decreases engagement. Additionally, the study revealed that students' level of digital literacy moderates the impact of these issues on fatigue. Higher levels of digital literacy were found to reduce the effect of these challenges on student fatigue. These findings emphasize the significant influence that online learning challenges have on student fatigue and engagement, extending the existing Stressors-Strain-Outcome (SSO) theoretical framework. By implementing effective measures, such as enhancing teacher-student interaction, improving system usability, and fostering meaningful communication, student fatigue can be alleviated and engagement increased. This, in turn, can stimulate students' interest in learning, offering great potential for the advancement of online education in Hebei Province and promoting the overall development of instruction and learning via the internet.