Abstract
The COVID-19 global pandemic has forced the education process worldwide to change its form to distance learning. This empirical study contributes to recently limited knowledge about the remote learning process. The study aimed to determine how academic self-efficacy is related to subjective cognitive load to predict achievement results in different forms of distance learning. The research method used was a quasi-experimental pilot study. The research questions were: (1) What is the relationship between academic self-efficacy, subjective cognitive load, and achievement results in teacher-directed distance learning? (2) What is the relationship between academic self-efficacy, subjective cognitive load, and achievement in student-directed distance learning? (3) What is the difference between teacher-directed and student self-directed distance learning settings regarding relationships between academic self-efficacy, subjective cognitive load, and achievement results? The measurement of academic self-efficacy and subjective cognitive load in the context of task assessment results were compared in different distance learning settings in two independent groups of 9th graders. The results suggest a significant relationship between subjective cognitive load and achievement results in student self-directed but non-significant between all variables in teacher-directed distance learning settings. In contrast, settings themselves demonstrated no influence on any measured factors.