First-year university students' self-regulated learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative longitudinal study

Abstract

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, many universities switched to fully online teaching. This unexpected switching to online teaching was challenging for both teachers and students, and restrictions that were put in place because of pandemic made this challenge even greater. However, new ways of teaching might also open new opportunities for students’ learning. The research question driving our study was as follows: how do students regulate their learning and specifically their choice of resources and peer learning in university mathematics classes that are fully taught online as offered during the COVID-19 pandemic? We report on a longitudinal, qualitative study in which students recorded a brief audio diary twice a week over one whole semester (14 weeks). We focused on three students who completed 70 interviews in total and finished the semester with varying degrees of success. The results show how the students structured their studying (e.g., the roles that deadlines or synchronous teaching events played). They illustrate the strengths and limitations of digital materials provided by the lecturer and the use of complementary media. Further, the pandemic uncovered the double-edged role of simple, often anonymous exchanges (e.g., via Discord servers), with few binding forces for either side, and the significance of stable learning partnerships for students’ success. Our research highlights aspects that should be focal points when comparing traditional instruction and online instruction during the pandemic from a self-regulatory perspective. Practical implications refer to how these aspects can be combined sensibly in fully online courses, but also in blended learning contexts.

Analyzing the students’ mathematical creative thinking ability in terms of self-regulated learning: How do we find what we are looking for?

“…This limitation is also evident in previous studies, where only nine participants were interviewed [ 42 ], or four out of 60 students were selected for qualitative analysis [ 50 ]. Similarly, other qualitative studies have also considered a small number of respondents, such as 3 [ 21 ], or 20 participants [ 51 ].…”

“…As reported by Liebendörfer, Kempen, and Schukajlow [ 21 ], self-regulated learning has garnered considerable attention since 1980. It refers to a learning process influenced by a person's thoughts, feelings, strategies, and behaviors that are oriented toward achieving goals [ 22 ].…”

Will we ever teach mathematics again in the way we used to before the pandemic?

“…In a longitudinal study, Liebendörfer et al ( 2022 ) (in this issue) investigated the issue of how students regulate their learning and specifically their choice of resources and peer learning in university mathematics classes that are fully taught online. The results illustrated the strengths and limitations of digital materials provided by the lecturer and the use of complementary media, also revealing the double-edged role of simple, often anonymous exchanges with few binding forces for either side, and the significance of stable learning partnerships for students’ success.…”

Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Transition from Baccalaureate to Higher Education: A Case Study

“…Students who have completed their bachelor's degree virtually may face difficulties adapting to higher education's demands in a faceto-face environment. These challenges can range from difficulties in socialising and time management to academic problems stemming from a lack of knowledge of the basic principles that were not previously acquired and may have been overlooked or inadequately addressed in virtual learning environments (Daniel, 2020;Liebendörfer et al, 2023;Stecuła & Wolniak, 2022). These gaps may become evident in face-to-face classes where students are expected to understand and be familiar with key concepts.…”