Beyond virtual walls: how instructor humility shapes the learner online learning experience

The benefits of learner–instructor interaction in traditional face-to-face educational settings is widely acknowledged. However, we have a limited understanding of how to improve such interactivity in online settings. This study finds that instructor humility is key to learner–instructor interaction in virtual settings: it indirectly affects learner satisfaction through learner–instructor interaction and learner intrinsic value. Learner self-efficacy moderates this indirect effect such that this impact is stronger at higher levels of learner self-efficacy. In Study 1, we employed a four-wave survey of 133 college students taking online business courses to empirically test the moderated mediation model. In Study 2, we conducted an experiment involving 420 participants that further confirmed the relationship between instructor humility and learner online learning experience. The discussion highlights theoretical and practical implications for the delivery of online education, as well as limitations and future research directions.