Learning during COVID-19: the role of self-regulated learning, motivation, and procrastination for perceived competence

Abstract

In March 2020 schools in Austria temporarily closed and switched to distance learning to contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The resulting situation posed great challenges to teachers, guardians and students (Huber and Helm 2020). Research has shown that perceived competence (Deci and Ryan 2000) affects selfregulated learning (SRL), intrinsic motivation and procrastination, however few studies have considered these variables in context of distance learning among adolescents. This study investigated differences in students who perceived themselves as high vs. low in competence with respect to these constructs. In an online questionnaire, 2652 Austrian secondary school students answered closed questions regarding SRL, intrinsic motivation and procrastination as well as open-ended questions about challenges, successes and need for support in distance. Structural equation modeling was applied for the quantitative analysis which was complemented by thematic analysis for the qualitative questions (Braun and Clarke 2006). Results showed that students who experienced themselves as highly competent use SRL strategies (goal setting and planning, time management, metacognitive strategies) more often and are more intrinsically motivated than students with lower perceived competence. They also procrastinate less. Furthermore, qualitative analysis revealed that although all students face similar challenges (e.g., independent learning, time and task management, learning on the computer, lack of contact with teachers and peers), students who perceived themselves as highly competent seemed to cope better, and have less need for support. Implications for distance learning and future research are discussed.

A leap to the digital era—what are lower and upper secondary school students’ experiences of distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia?

“…Some of our more specific findings are more expected than others. For example, expressions on how demanding instruction was, of feeling overwhelmed by the overload of digital content and excessive tasks and homework, are fully coherent with findings from other countries reported by Niemi and Kousa (2020), Bubb andJones (2020), &Pelikan et al (2021). Similarly, self-regulation, which is repeatedly reported on and theorized as highly relevant for successful distance education by researchers (OECD, 2020;Pelikan et al, 2021), also comes through as pivotal in the narratives of our students.…”

“…Similarly, students' expressions show that, although online instruction and distance learning forced teachers to use new technologically mediated teaching solutions, teachers did not abandon their traditional, knowledge transmission-oriented teaching practices. Instead of using the new tool to rethink education (Reimers & Schleicher, 2020;Zhao, 2020), teachers rather assimilated the new tool into their old practice.…”

“…A third line of research and thinking revolves around collecting evidence and analysing diverse country responses and draws recommendations on best practices and ways to avoid pitfalls (Dhawan, 2020;OECD, 2020;Reimers & Schleicher, 2020). Thinking about the school closure crisis and "chaos" as an opportunity to reimagine the future (Azorín, 2020) and as a possible catalyst for educational change (Zhao, 2020) is a further constructive step in looking at the effects of the COVID-19 crisis in education, one that could prompt a rethinking of the what, how, and where of education in the future.…”

“…Niemi and Kousa (2020) compared students' and teachers' perceptions of distance learning and found that, even after a prolonged period, teachers still failed to acknowledge how demanding and overwhelming distance education was for their students. A study of more than 2000 school students in Austria by Pelikan et al (2021) also reported that students found emergency distance education more demanding than regular school with "too many assignments to complete in too little time" and highlighted the importance of self-regulation skills in order to master the increased requirements on their own. Bubb and Jones (2020) analysed factors leading to satisfaction with the innovative and creative character of online education in a community in Norway, through gathering assessments from school students, teachers and parents.…”

Adolescent well-being and learning in times of COVID-19—A multi-country study of basic psychological need satisfaction, learning behavior, and the mediating roles of positive emotion and intrinsic motivation

“…The cross-country study was conceived by the research group in Austria. It was carried out as part of a larger research project focused on "Learning under COVID-19 circumstances" [63][64][65][66], approved and supported by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, and was carried out starting with April 2020. To expand the one-country scope, the Austrian group invited cooperation partners from their research networks to participate in a joint study.…”