Extent of self-regulated learning among allied health students in an online environment

Abstract

Background: The shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has caused students to experience several challenges in their academic lives. A strategy that may assist in mitigating these challenges and facilitating students' positive adaptation to online learning is the promotion of self-regulated learning (SRL). However, SRL is underexplored in the context of health sciences students.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the extent and examine the nature of SRL of allied health students in a fully remote learning environment.

Methodology: This is a cross-sectional online survey study. Data were collected online using Qualtrics. Descriptive statistics and confirmatory factor analysis were used to determine the extent and nature of SRL, respectively.

Results: Responses from 241 participants show that students had a mean self-regulated learning score of 82.80 out of 120 (SD=12.68). Of the dimensions of SRL, students had higher scores in environmental structuring, time management, and self-evaluation than the other dimensions. A six-factor second-order model of self-regulation showed adequate model-data fit (χ2=673.88, CFI=0.95, TLI=0.95, SRMR=0.09, RMSEA=0.09 [90% CI=0.08-0.09]).

Conclusion:Health science students showed a high level of SRL; SRL for these students is adequately measured using the six dimensions of goal setting, environmental structuring, tasks strategies, time management, help seeking, and self-evaluation. The results indicate the value of understanding the extent and nature of SRL as a first step in planning strategies to support learning and student success in remote environments.