Much of the research literature on learning technologies and distance education has concentrated on achievement, with little to no emphasis on factors pertaining to motivation. This lack of research is a concern given the high enrollment and low retention rates in distance education programs. The focus of this comparative study was to investigate potential differences between socio-affective and cognitive factors related to motivation across methods of instructional delivery. The social cognitive model of reciprocal determinism was adapted and applied to frame the discussion of factors including feelings of belonging to the academic community, domain-specific self-efficacy, and goal orientation. These variables were compared between students in a traditional face-to-face Masters of Social Work program and those enrolled in an online, synchronous version of this program. Both programs examined in this study have comparable course work and they are offered at the same top-tier, not-for-profit, private university. This study employed a non-experimental design and quantitative approach to assess correlational relationships between the aforementioned social cognitive variables. The results of this study report significant findings with regard to differences in constructs across instructional delivery, in addition to significant and predictive relationships between constructs. The implications of this study are important for the field of education as it provides a new perspective for the transformation of educational institutions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]