Examining Motivation to Learn and 21st Century Skills in a Massive Open Online Course

Abstract

Guided by the social cognitive theory, the study aims to understand motivations and 21st century skills in the context of massive open online course (MOOC) in teacher education, and to examine the relationships between participants’ motivation, their 21st century skills, and their achievement level in the MOOC. The research included teacher education students (N =232), who completed a MOOC titled “Teaching-Thinking” which was delivered at Campus.gov.il platform. The study applied the mixed methods approach. The quantitative data was collected by pre- and post-questionnaires, as well as log data regarding learners’ performance. The qualitative data was based on interviews. Significant differences in learners’ motivation and their 21st century skills before and after the MOOC were indicated. Results also indicated a statistically significant positive relationship between achievement level and 21st century skills. This study contributes to the evaluation of the effectiveness of MOOC learning for education students based on their motivation to learn and the 21st century skills.