FACTORS CAUSING SOCIAL LOAFING IN ONLINE LEARNING GROUP WORK AMONG EFL STUDENTS

Abstract

In this digital age, online learning has become a prevalent educational format and is considered an optimal choice for many academic institutions due to its flexibility and accessibility. Unfortunately, unlike traditional learning where students can easily interact with others, the lack of real-life interaction and connection with teachers and peers has hindered students’ active engagement in lectures, reducing their participation in many group tasks. In the long run, this can lead to the phenomenon known as social loafing, where some students exert less effort than their peers, resulting in unfair workload distribution and decreased overall performance. Recognizing the growing impact of this issue in the educational context, this study aims to investigate the key factors contributing to social loafing in online learning group work among EFL students at a university in Can Tho city. The identified factors include group size, satisfaction with other members’ contributions, distributive justice, and personality traits (independence, dominance, openness to experience, and agreeableness). The findings from this study are expected to provide valuable pedagogical implications for both educators and administrators in designing group work effectively and developing engaging strategies to mitigate the likelihood of social loafing in online learning settings. Additionally, this study recommends optimizing group sizes, implementing fair grading systems with peer evaluations, and utilizing AI-driven tracking tools to enhance individual accountability.