Predictors of Student Academic Performance in Blended Learning: The Mediating Role of Digital Literacy

Abstract

Blended learning requires students to regulate their learning and use digital technologies effectively; however, academic performance remains shaped by psychological and social factors. Previous studies have tended to examine self-efficacy, perceived social support, self-regulated learning, and digital literacy separately, leaving the mechanisms connecting these factors insufficiently integrated. This study tested a model of student academic performance in blended learning, with digital literacy as a mediator. A cross-sectional quantitative design involved 449 students from three private universities in Jakarta selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using measures of academic self-efficacy, perceived social support, self-regulated learning, digital literacy, and cumulative grade point average, and were analyzed using path analysis and mediation tests. The model demonstrated excellent fit. Academic self-efficacy, perceived social support, and digital literacy had positive and significant direct effects on academic performance, whereas self-regulated learning had no significant direct effect. Digital literacy mediated the effects of academic self-efficacy and self-regulated learning on academic performance. The study's novelty lies in positioning digital literacy as a mechanism that translates students' psychological learning resources into academic achievement, while perceived social support retains a direct role in post-pandemic blended learning.