ESPLAT 2025 conference: Scientific thinking in challenging times

This study examines how perceived teaching quality influences engagement and learning outcomes in a brief online psychology course. While teaching quality can support learning outcomes, its specific role in self-paced online learning — particularly in facilitating the translation of extrinsic motivation into engagement — remains unclear.

The preregistered study builds on Self-Determination Theory and engagement research, emphasizing the role of need-supportive teaching in fostering student engagement. The course “Discover Community Psychology: First Contact” follows a structured didactic concept, combining microlearning units with interactive elements. Reflective tasks encourage students to explore their value orientations and personal context, promoting deeper cognitive engagement.

Using a pre-post design (January–April 2024, target N=300), we assess students’ motivation, engagement (behavioral, cognitive, emotional), learning outcomes (knowledge gain, interest development, value reflection), and perceived teaching quality (basic needs support, didactic design, overall quality). Platform data on quiz performance and timestamped completion of activities accompany these self-reports. Through systematic model comparisons examining different pathways of influence, we aim to clarify how teaching quality affects the relationship between motivation, engagement, and learning outcomes in brief online courses.

We expect engagement to mediate the relationship between motivation and learning outcomes partially and hypothesize that perceived teaching quality plays a key role in this process. Initial empirical insights will highlight which aspects of teaching quality are particularly relevant for fostering engagement in self-paced online learning. Given the increasing relevance of self-directed digital learning environments, this study provides insights into the design of effective online courses and the role of instructional quality in supporting engagement beyond traditional classroom settings. The findings contribute to current discussions on evidence-based teaching strategies in psychology education. The course promotes critical scientific thinking by engaging with core principles of Community Psychology - including value-conscious research and systemic thinking.