Children’s E-Learning Interactions and Perceived Outcomes with Educational Key Opinion Leaders in China

Classroom teaching has been undergoing a digital transformation in the last decade and is now being amplified by Educational Key Opinion Leaders (Edu-KOLs). This research aims to investigate the relationship between learners’ perceived outcomes, motivation, and the selection preferences of Edu-KOLs. This paper presents insights gained from a two-phase study. We conducted research in the first phase through an online questionnaire completed by 186 parents in China whose children are studying or have recently studied online. In the second phase, we interviewed parents to deep dive into their thinking process behind their choices of Edu-KOLs. By utilizing the PLS-SEM method, this research has proposed and verified six hypotheses asserting that e-learning platforms, student engagement scores, and perceived outcomes strongly correlate with the perception of Edu-KOLs. However, parents’ educational level or occupation has less impact on the choices of Edu-KOLs. There are also positive relationships among Edu-KOLs, customer advocacy, and future purchase intention.