Self-control as an important factor affecting the online learning readiness of Vietnamese medical and health students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a network analysis

PURPOSE: The current study aimed to use network analysis to investigate medical and health students’ readiness for online learning during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University. METHODS: A questionnaire survey on the students’ readiness for online learning was performed using a Google Form from May 13 to June 22, 2021. In total, 1,377 completed responses were eligible for analysis out of 1,411 participants. The network structure was estimated for readiness scales with 6 factors: computer skills, internet skills, online communication, motivation, self-control, and self-learning. Data were fitted using a Gaussian graphical model with the extended Bayesian information criterion. RESULTS: In 1,377 students, a network structure was identified with 6 nodes and no isolated nodes. The top 3 partial correlations were similar in networks for the overall sample and subgroups of gender and grade levels. The self-control node was the strongest for the connection to others, with the highest nodal strength. The change of nodal strength was greatest in online communication for both gender and grade levels. The correlation stability coefficient for nodal strength was achieved for all networks. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that self-control was the most important factor in students’ readiness network structures for online learning. Therefore, self-control needs to be encouraged during online learning to improve the effectiveness of achieving online learning outcomes for students.