Advancing Self-Reports of Self-Regulated Learning: Validating New Measures to Assess Students’ Beliefs, Practices, and Challenges

Abstract

Self-report measures are essential sources of information about learners’ studying perceptions. These perceptions also guide self-regulated learning (SRL) decisions and strategies in future studying. However, the development of self-report methods has not kept pace with other multi-modal methodological advancements, particularly in the field of self-regulated learning. The purpose of this study was to test the psychometric adequacy and predictive utility of four complementary SRL-grounded measures examining students’ perceptions of SRL during studying. Participants were two samples (N = 220; N = 473) of post-secondary students enrolled in various academic disciplines. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the measurement adequacy of (a) a 4-factor SRL self-efficacy measure, (b) a 4-factor SRL importance measure, (c) a 6-factor self-regulated learning practices measure, and (d) a 6-factor academic challenges measure. The predictive validity of factors within each measure revealed that (a) prioritizing and feeling confident about planning and foundational academic behaviors positively predicted academic performance, and (b) SRL practices were either positively associated with academic performance or negatively associated with academic challenges. Despite being underrepresented in most measures of SRL, task understanding practices were found to be important for predicting academic performance beyond other SRL practices. Overall, findings indicate that student’s self-reports about SRL beliefs and practices can predict academic outcomes.