Empowering Undergraduates: An Examination of Online Self-Regulated Learning Skills in Higher Education

Abstract

This study sought to explore the students’ self-regulated learning skills (SRLS) in online higher education within the scope of goal setting, environment structuring, task strategies, time management, help-seeking, and self-regulation in addition to the investigation of the relationship between the demographic variables and their SRLS. The sample of the study comprised 832 undergraduate students taking online courses in different universities in Turkey. Adopted as a quantitative design including the analyses of independent sample t tests and ANOVA, this study identified significant differences in SRLS across the subscales. The findings indicated that students generally exhibited moderate to high competence in most SRLS, and some significant differences were detected in SRLS for gender, age, year of education, and faculty, but not for university type. The results provide insights into how demographic factors influence students’ SRLS in online higher education by highlighting areas for targeted educational support and intervention.