The Impact of Online Learning Challenges on Business Students’ Academic Outcomes: A Modeling Approach

The rapid shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic introduced significant challenges for both students and educators, including stress and anxiety about the new learning format, assessment methods, and proctoring tools. This empirical study examines the key factors, Learning preference, Test format, Stress, Lockdown browser, Anxiety, and concentration and stress, and their direct and indirect effects on academic performance, as well as their interrelations using Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling. Data were collected through a structured survey and analyzed statistically. Learning preference was positively associated with both Test format and, marginally, with Academic performance, while Test format did not significantly influence Academic performance. In contrast, Anxiety showed a negative direct effect on Academic performance, while Lockdown browser showed a positive indirect effect on academic performance and grades. Additionally, Test Format, Stress, and Concentration and stress showed a negative indirect effect on Academic Performance through increased anxiety level. These findings highlight the importance of revising assessment methods to better support students’ emotional well-being, reduce assessment-related stress and anxiety, and therefore, enhance academic performance.