The relationship between self-regulation learning and online learning adoption

Abstract

As the online learning environment continues to proliferate and dominate higher education learning systems, more investigation is required to explicate the adoption rate of these systems and the factors influencing students’ adoption. Previous research has demonstrated the learning environment role in self-regulation learning and the association between self-regulation learning and the dropout rate (Kim et al., 2017). But yet there is rare research addressing whether self-regulation learning skills are associated with online learning adoption. This study explicates how self-regulation learning skills associate with the online learning adoption level of university students. A sample of 688 students enrolled in Saudi Electronic University answered a self-administrated questionnaire distributed via their students’ emails. The questionnaire consists of two parts: self-regulation skills and online learning adoption. Chi-square analysis reveals statistically significant positive associations between the overall score of self-regulation skills, goal setting, environment structuring, time management, help-seeking, use of self-regulation strategies, self-evolution and online learning adoption. The results accommodate with the literature that a higher level of self-regulation skills fosters openness to experience. The study recommends fostering students’ self-regulation skills to increase their readiness for online learning environments.

Keywords: Learning environment, online learning adoption, self-regulation learning, time management.