An analysis of the relationship between self-study, private tutoring, and self-efficacy on self-regulated learning

This study examines the effect of study behavior that includes self-study and private tutoring; motivation characterized by self-esteem, self-efficacy, and test anxiety; and parental support on self-regulated learning using cross-sectional and longitudinal methods. These relationships were investigated using the Korean Education Longitudinal Study 2005 (KELS, 2005) data, restricting major analyses to students attending general high schools. Results showed that the effect of private tutoring on self-regulated learning was negative, while self-study showed a positive effect. Furthermore, self-study hours seemed to moderate the effect of self-efficacy on self-regulated learning; students that had higher levels of self-study hours also had greater levels of self-regulated learning, whereas students with lower self-study hours had lower levels of self-regulated learning. Results from cross-sectional structural equation models showed that the direct effects of self-esteem and self-efficacy had a significant effect on self-regulated learning. Using a longitudinal analysis based on multilevel random effects regression, the effects of self-esteem and self-efficacy on self-regulated learning were .28 and .17 standardized units, respectively. Test stress also had a minimal yet significant effect of .04 points. The findings from this study show that rather than focusing on private tutoring, efforts to improve self-study, self-esteem, and self-efficacy can lead to an increase in students' behaviors of self-regulated learning.