Investigating the Role of Professional Self-Efficacy as Mediator between Teacher Self-Efficacy and Learning Analytics Use in Schools

Learning analytics adoption in educational institutions at all levels is increasing over time. Teachers have realized educational data could be valuable and beneficial when properly collected, analyzed, and interpreted. Despite previous research that has confirmed the importance of teacher self-efficacy and learning analytics use, a holistic process model including these relationships has been primarily conceptual rather than empirical. This study draws on the Social Cognitive Theory, emphasizing the direct and indirect relationships between teacher’s self-efficacy on the utilization of learning analytics. Using data provided by the Ministry of Education Malaysia, a random sampling technique was employed to choose 384 primary and secondary school teachers to complete a set of questionnaires. Structural equation modelling was performed to test the model. Results revealed that teachers’ usage of learning analytics was at a moderate level, while further analysis indicated that teacher self-efficacy was positively related to learning analytics concurrently. Professional self-efficacy was found to mediate the relationships between data use self-efficacy, technology use self-efficacy and learning analytics use. These findings implicate that collaborative efforts among stakeholders, researchers, and policymakers are key to guaranteeing conducive working conditions that promote teacher’s use of learning analytics in the profession. The substantial use of learning analytics by Malaysian school teachers is driven by their belief in its effectiveness, supported by self-efficacy in technology, which collectively contributes to successful learning analytics adoption and a higher understanding of technology use in education.