How Changes in Motivational Regulation Promote Students’ Socio-Emotional Outcomes

• In Event: Motivational Regulation Meets Emotional Regulation: Understanding Their Conceptual and Functional Interplay in Academic Settings

Abstract

Motivational regulation, the strategic processes students engage in to maintain or enhance their motivation, is a critical aspect of self-regulated learning (Wolters, 2003). Over the past two decades, increased attention has been given to understanding the role of motivational regulation in promoting academic success. Research indicates that students who regulate their motivation invest more effort (Schwinger & Stiensmeier-Pelster, 2012), use effective learning strategies (Kim et al., 2018), procrastinate less (Grunschel et al., 2016), and show higher achievement (Kryshko et al., 2020). We address two shortcomings in this research. One, most studies have relied on a one-time measure of motivational regulation (c.f. Wolters et al., 2023). Two, little evidence has been presented for a link between motivational regulation and socio-emotional experiences (c.f., Grunschel et al., 2016; Kim et al., 2021). We thus explored how changes in motivational regulation were associated with academic, social, and emotional outcomes (i.e., achievement, sense of belonging, emotional burnout) when accounting for motivational antecedents (i.e., self-efficacy, value).
Participants were undergraduates (N = 275) from a learning-to-learn course at a large US university. Students completed self-report instruments at two time points: at the beginning (T1) and at the end (T2) of one semester. Using established measures (e.g., Iaconelli & Wolters, 2020; Kim et al., 2018, 2020; Schaufeli et al., 1996; Zimmerman et al., 1992), we found good reliability (Cronbach’s alphas.86 to .93) for all key constructs. Students’ achievement information was obtained from the university records. All analyses were completed using Mplus. We employed change score analysis to estimate latent factors for the initial level of motivational regulation (T1) and its change over time (from T1 to T2). We then extended the structural equation model to investigate how motivational regulation (initial level and change factor) was associated with motivational antecedents (T1) and outcomes (T2) (see Figure 1). Students with higher self-efficacy beliefs showed higher initial engagement in motivational regulation, although they were more resistant to change over time. Students with higher value perceptions enhanced their motivational regulation more over time. Interestingly, we found that motivational regulation (both initial level and change factor) played a critical role in predicting not only higher achievement and sense of belonging but also better emotional well-being. That is, after accounting for motivational antecedents, students who enhanced their motivational regulation tendencies more over time were more likely to report experiencing less emotional burnout from academic activities.
We contribute to the literature by highlighting the dynamic nature of motivational regulation and expanding the outcomes to include socio-emotional aspects in addition to the traditional academic outcomes (e.g., achievement). Our findings highlight how powerful it is to support students to monitor and manage their motivation in the face of challenges. Given the close link between students’ motivational regulation and their socio-emotional experiences, further research is needed to examine how motivational and emotional regulation can function together synergistically to promote student success.

Authors

• Yeo-eun Kim, Sungkyunkwan University

• Christopher A. Wolters, The Ohio State University