Improving Health Care Providers' Capacity for Self-Regulated Learning in Online Continuing Pharmacy Education: The Role of Internet Self-Efficacy.
Although Internet-based learning is widely used to improve health professionals' knowledge and skills, the self-regulated learning (SRL) activities of online continuing education in pharmacy are seldom discussed. The main purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between pharmacists' Internet self-efficacy (ISE) and their SRL in online continuing education.



A total of 164 in-service pharmacists in Taiwan were surveyed with the Internet Self-Efficacy Survey, including basic ISE (B-ISE), advanced ISE (A-ISE) and professional ISE (P-ISE), as well as the Self-Regulated Learning Questionnaire consisting of preparatory SRL (P-SRL) and enactment SRL (E-SRL).



Results of a 1-by-3 (educational levels: junior college versus bachelor versus master) analysis of variance and a 1-by-4 (institutions: community-based versus hospital versus clinic versus company) analysis of variance revealed that there were differences in ISE and SRL among different education levels and working institutions. The hierarchical regression analyses indicated that B-ISE and P-ISE were significant predictors of P-SRL, whereas P-ISE was a critical predictor of E-SRL. Moreover, the interaction of P-ISE × age was linked to E-SRL, implying that P-ISE has a stronger influence on E-SRL for older pharmacists than for younger pharmacists. However, the interactions between age and ISE (A-ISE, B-ISE, and P-ISE) were not related to P-SRL.



This study highlighted the importance of ISE and age for increasing pharmacists' SRL in online continuing education.
Dr. Chiu: Assistant Researcher, Graduate Institute of Digital Learning and Education, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan. Dr. Liang: Associate Professor, Graduate Institute of Digital Learning and Education, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan. RPh. Mao: Registered Pharmacist, Department of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and School of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Dr. Tsai: Professor, Graduate Institute of Digital Learning and Education, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan.
Yen-Lin
YL
Chiu
Jyh-Chong
JC
Liang
Pili Chih-Min
PC
Mao
Chin-Chung
CC
Tsai
D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D020375:Education, Distance / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004513:Education, Pharmacy, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020377:Self Efficacy; D000073278:Self-Management; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan