Effects of self-regulated learning on cognitive engagement and learning achievement in online discussions

Online discussions, as a critical interaction tool, have become increasingly popular among instructors and students who can share learning experience and psychological feelings by the means of discourse interactions. Self-regulated learning (SRL) and cognitive engagement are key elements of online learning, which are essential to helping students achieve high learning achievement. However, the relationship between these two elements and their impact on learning achievement are still unclear, which may hinder our understanding of student cognitive processing and psychological mechanism during online self-directed learning. To fill these gaps, this study designed an eight-week quasi-experiment in which students were grouped according to their self-reported SRL features (e.g., metacognitive skills, time management), and investigated the effects of SRL on cognitive engagement and learning achievement. The results showed that students in four SRL groups varied significantly in five dimensions of cognitive engagement within discussions over time. Weak regulators became less engaged over time and tended to share collected information and passively respond to peers, while self-regulators performed better overall and were able to actively think and elaborate their ideas to peers. Besides, SRL played a positive moderating role in the relationship between cognitive engagement and learning achievement, with self-regulators having the strongest moderating effect and better learning achievement. This study suggested that SRL can explain part of the variability in students' cognitive engagement in online discussions. It also provided inspiration for educational researchers on the design of SRL interventions including the necessity to integrate support for weak self-regulators in online learning.