The effect of previous experiences on virtual learning on students' self-efficacy during COVID-19: The mediating role of self-regulation

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many educational institutions to continue the training program from home, considering the use of emergency remote education. Self-efficacy in virtual learning is a crucial aspect for students to perform as expected in such environments. This quasi-experimental study examined the effect of experiences in virtual learning on self-efficacy and evaluated students' self-regulation as a mechanism through which previous experiences influence the self-efficacy of university students (N = 301) during COVID-19 confinement. The results showed that before starting emergency remote education, previous experiences were positively related to self-efficacy, but this relationship also occurred through self-regulation. Meanwhile, it was found that after completing the cycle of emergency remote education, only students with higher self-efficacy were those who had prior virtual experiences and were self-regulated. The findings of this study highlight the adverse effect of the lack of preparation of educational institutions on students' learning process.