Learning online: Motivated to self-regulate?

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate how different motivational components of social cognitive theory relate to students' use of learning strategies in online courses. University students (n = 96) completed a survey that assessed their task value and self-efficacy, as well as outcomes that included their use of three self-regulated learning strategies. Results indicate that task value and self-efficacy were significantly positively related to students' use of elaboration, critical thinking, and metacognitive learning strategies. Educational implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. Introduction Interest in academic self-regulation has increased considerably in recent years as investigators and practitioners attempt to understand how students become masters of their own learning processes (Schunk & Zimmerman, 1998). Self-regulated learning (SRL) has been defined as, "an active, constructive process whereby learners set goals for their learning and then attempt to monitor, regulate, and control their cognition, motivation, and behavior, guided and constrained by their goals and the contextual features of the environment" (Pintrich, 2000, p. 453). Self-regulated learners are generally characterized as active participants who efficiently control their own learning experiences in many different ways, including organizing and rehearsing information to be learned, and holding positive beliefs about their capabilities, the value of learning, and the factors that influence learning (Schunk & Zimmerman, 1994, 1998). Recently, several scholars have suggested that SRL skills may be particularly important for students participating in online education (Bandura, 1997; Dillon & Greene, 2003; Hartley & Bendixen, 2001; Hill & Hannafin, 1997). For example, in their edited volume regarding the instructional implications of academic self-regulation, Schunk and Zimmerman (1998) concluded that effective SRL strategies may be critical in distance learning situations due to the high degree of student autonomy resulting from the instructor's physical absence. The authors recommended that future research on self-regulation investigate the specific strategies that allow for effective and efficient distance learning. The present study is the first in a line of research designed to address the recommendations made by Schunk and Zimmerman (1998). Specifically, this study explores the linkages between students' motivation and self-regulation in online learning courses, seeking to determine if the pattern of relationships are consistent with those that have been found in traditional academic settings. In short, the present investigation marks a critical first step in extending the robust literature on SRL in classroom settings to online learning environments. Review of the Literature Self-regulated learning refers to "learning that occurs largely from the influence of student's self-generated thoughts, feelings, strategies, and behaviors, which are oriented toward the attainment of goals" (Schunk & Zimmerman, 1998, p. viii). Academic self-regulation has been studied in traditional classrooms as a means of understanding how successful students adapt their cognition, motivation, and behavior to improve learning. In general, investigators have consistently found moderate to strong positive relations between students' use of SRL strategies and academic achievement (Pintrich, 1999; Pintrich & De Groot, 1990, Pintrich & Garcia, 1991). For example, in a study of 173 seventh graders, Pintrich and De Groot (1990) found that higher levels of selfregulation were correlated with higher levels of achievement, as measured by final course grades, essays and reports, and in-class seatwork. Although there are various conceptualizations of academic self-regulation (for a review, see Boekaerts, Pintrich, & Zeidner, 2000), several researchers have found social cognitive models of SRL to be particularly useful in analyzing student success in online education. …