Technology-Mediated Self-Regulated Learning Strategies: The Role of Academic Self-Efficacy, Gender, and Field of Study
TL;DR
Findings reveal that planning is the most developed phase of SRL, whereas self-motivation and evaluation show lower levels, and the need for differentiated and contextualized interventions to strengthen self-regulatory competencies from the early stages of university education is emphasized.
Abstract
This study analyzes self-regulated learning (SRL) among first-year university students in autonomous study contexts mediated by digital technologies in the post-pandemic era. Drawing on Zimmerman’s (2002) cyclical model, it explores the planning, execution, and evaluation phases of SRL, considering students’ individual differences and predictive factors in a context of increasing digital autonomy in higher education. A cross-sectional quantitative design was applied to a sample of 1,038 Chilean students from diverse academic fields. Instruments assessed SRL across its three phases and academic self-efficacy, along with sociodemographic variables. Findings reveal that planning is the most developed phase, whereas self-motivation and evaluation show lower levels. Significant gender differences emerged, with female students reporting greater use of self-regulatory strategies, especially in planning and execution. Students in health and medical sciences exhibited higher SRL levels compared to other fields. Academic self-efficacy was positively associated with all SRL phases and emerged as the strongest predictor in the multiple regression model. These results confirm the relevance of SRL for sustaining autonomous learning in technology-mediated higher education and highlight field-specific dynamics that shape self-regulatory profiles. The study provides novel post-pandemic evidence from Latin America, emphasizing the need for differentiated and contextualized interventions to strengthen self-regulatory competencies from the early stages of university education.