Do Self-Regulated Learning Practices and Intervention Mitigate the Impact of Academic Challenges and COVID-19 Distress on Academic Performance During Online Learning?

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced significant disruptions and challenges to the learning environment for many post-secondary students with many shifting entirely to remote online learning. Barriers to academic success already experienced in traditional face-to-face classes may be compounded in the online environment and exacerbated by stressors related to the pandemic. In 2020–2021, post-secondary institutions were faced with the reality of rolling out fully online instruction with limited access to resources for assisting students in this transition. Instructional interventions that target students’ ability to self-regulate their learning have been shown to improve academic performance and self-regulated learning (SRL) competencies have also been found to mediate the effect of SRL interventions on higher education. However, few studies have examined the efficacy of fully online SRL intervention on mitigating the impact of psychological distress and academic challenges on academic success. This study examined the moderating roles of self-regulatory practices and SRL intervention in buffering the influence of COVID-related psychological distress and academic challenges on academic outcomes (self-reported grade point average (GPA) and academic challenges) in a Canadian sample of undergraduate students (n = 496). We found (a) levels of metacognitive and motivational challenges fully mediated the impact of COVID distress on GPA, (b) SRL adapting practices moderated the impact of metacognitive challenges on GPA, and (c) semester-long SRL intervention buffered the impact of COVID distress on academic challenges and resulted in lower levels of social-emotional, cognitive, and metacognitive challenges for first year undergraduate students.

Stress development during emergency remote teaching in higher education

“…E-learning in higher education was boosted by the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to severe changes in study conditions and student learning. Although e-learning offers students more flexibility and saves them travel times, it is associated with higher demands in terms of self-regulation skills and characterized by less social integration ( Broadbent & Poon, 2015 ; Goppert & Pfost, 2021 ; Hadwin et al, 2022 ). Social embeddedness and interactions are crucial for motivation and retention in studies (e.g., Broadbent & Poon, 2015 ).…”

“…Studying is associated with increased stress ( Matos Fialho et al, 2021 ; von Keyserlingk et al, 2021 ) even without additional stressors due to the changes brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. With reference to prior findings on the development of stress or students' perception of e-learning ( Garrison et al, 2010 ; Schmidt et al, 2019 ), social presence and cognitive abilities are crucial for the evaluation of the learning process and the motivation in digital learning environments ( Kahn et al, 2017 ) and ERT ( Hadwin et al, 2022 ; Hopp et al, 2021 ). Previous studies revealed core conditions for the development of distress in e-learning: limited opportunities for action (e.g., due to technical difficulties and low support; Hara, 2000 ), reduced social interactions with peers, lecturers, and tutors ( Garrison et al, 2010 ; Henritius et al, 2019 ; Hopp et al, 2021 ), and an increased need to control the learning process by oneself ( Hadwin et al, 2022 ).…”

“…With reference to prior findings on the development of stress or students' perception of e-learning ( Garrison et al, 2010 ; Schmidt et al, 2019 ), social presence and cognitive abilities are crucial for the evaluation of the learning process and the motivation in digital learning environments ( Kahn et al, 2017 ) and ERT ( Hadwin et al, 2022 ; Hopp et al, 2021 ). Previous studies revealed core conditions for the development of distress in e-learning: limited opportunities for action (e.g., due to technical difficulties and low support; Hara, 2000 ), reduced social interactions with peers, lecturers, and tutors ( Garrison et al, 2010 ; Henritius et al, 2019 ; Hopp et al, 2021 ), and an increased need to control the learning process by oneself ( Hadwin et al, 2022 ). Fewer opportunities for communication, irregular feedback and unclear tasks are correlated with anxiety, frustration, and confusion ( Ajmal & Ahmad, 2019 ; Nummenmaa & Nummenmaa, 2008 ), and consequently, with stress ( Hopp et al, 2021 ; Kocalevent et al, 2007 ).…”

“…Accordingly, digital offerings are used to support face-to-face university teaching ( Getto & Kerres, 2018 ), and students are accustomed to e-learning to some degree. Nevertheless, the ad-hoc shift to online learning (so-called Emergency Remote Teaching; ERT) in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic in the summer semester of 2020 presented a completely new situation for students ( Goppert & Pfost, 2021 ; Hadwin et al, 2022 ; Voltmer et al, 2021 ). As a result, first cross-sectional studies reported a higher experience of stress and an increase in mental discomfort of students ( Hadwin et al, 2022 ; Hopp et al, 2021 ; Tzafilkou et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Nevertheless, the ad-hoc shift to online learning (so-called Emergency Remote Teaching; ERT) in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic in the summer semester of 2020 presented a completely new situation for students ( Goppert & Pfost, 2021 ; Hadwin et al, 2022 ; Voltmer et al, 2021 ). As a result, first cross-sectional studies reported a higher experience of stress and an increase in mental discomfort of students ( Hadwin et al, 2022 ; Hopp et al, 2021 ; Tzafilkou et al, 2021 ). Although stress is a common problem among students and fluctuations in stress levels over the course of a semester are well known ( Herbst et al, 2016 ), ERT is characterized by some specifics that are suspected to increase the stress experience (e.g., Goppert & Pfost, 2021 ; von Keyserlingk et al, 2021 ).…”