A structural equation modelling of factors influencing student teachers' satisfaction with e-learning

The success factors of an e‐learning environment are different to those in a traditional learning environment. As institutions incorporate elements of e‐learning into their courses, many are looking at the factors that affect the performance of students as such findings are valuable to those institutions planning e‐learning strategies. In many studies, the focus have been on students' experiences with specific aspects of e‐learning courses, eg, interaction with an instructor, learning with a specific learning management system, or certain characteristics of a course (Alexander & Golja, 2007). However, little is known about the key factors that motivate users to participate in e‐learning (Paechter, Maier & Macher, 2010). Although e‐learning has many advantages, the essential condition of a successful system is that learners are satisfied with the system. Satisfaction is found to have a positive influence on motivation and is often used as a dependent variable in e‐learning research. When students derived satisfaction from e‐learning, they become highly motivated, leading to a more intensive engagement with the course materials. In an e‐learning environment, the factors that influence on users' satisfaction are typically grouped into six dimensions: student, teacher, course, technology, system design and environmental dimension (Chen & Bagakas, 2003).