Effect of Educational Infrastructure on Learning Outcomes: The Moderating Role of Student Motivation in Online Tourism Education
Keywords:
Tourism education, online tourism programs, student motivation, online teaching-learning, teaching-learning environment, moderation analysis, tourism educational institutionAbstract
This article aimed to identify the underlying factors of theoretical clusters such as educational infrastructure, teaching-learning practices, student motivation, and educational outcomes from the literature related to online tourism education, as well as establish significant statistical relationships among them. A valid sample of data (644) was collected using stratified random sampling through the survey method from students and faculty actively engaged in tourism programs at higher education institutions. Structural equation modelling was employed for the data analysis to examine the possible relationship between and moderating effect, among the variables. Results indicate that all four exogenous variables (smart institutions, internet connectivity, online platforms, teaching & evaluation, course workload & preparation, student engagement, learning motivation, learning challenges) significantly affect students’ educational outcomes towards online tourism education. However, Internet Connectivity and Online Platforms did not show significant effects on the specified outcomes. Further in mediation analysis, the results showed a significant positive relationship (CEI = 0.178, p < 0.001) between Educational Infrastructure (EI) and Educational Outcomes (EO) in tourism education, indicating that facilities like Smart Institutions, Internet Connectivity, and Online Platforms positively impact EO. However, the moderation analysis found that student motivation did not significantly moderate this relationship (CEI*CEO = 0.040, p = 0.141). The findings may serve as a reference point for future studies for improving the quality of online tourism education and facilitate tourism educators and learners with technological advancements in tourism educational institutions.
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