Running Head: SELF-REGULATION AND MOTIVATION
Learning Theories: Self-Regulation and Motivation
Brittinae Bell
Western University of Health Sciences
HSCI 5110 Learning Theories and Student Behavior
Professor Rita Nazarian
November 9, 2013
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Abstract
Motivation and self-regulation are two important factors that affect academic performance.
Health profession students must be active, independent, and use self-regulated learning to
achieve their educational goals. Numerous amounts of literature discuss the roles of motivation
and self-regulation but it is rare that the literature focuses on health profession students. Ning
and Downing discuss the effects of these factors in relation to the academic performance of
undergraduate students. To conduct their study, Ning and Downing surveyed undergraduate
students of a Hong Kong university. They used the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory
(LASSI) and Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) questionnaires to assess the roles of
motivation and self-regulation. This paper further discusses the findings of Ning and Downing’s
research and relates it to healthcare graduate students. Healthcare graduate students must
continue to stay motivated and use self-regulation strategies to have high levels of academic
achievement. To stay motivated, students typically use goal-oriented motivation. Students set
high goals and strive to achieve the goals in fear of academic failure. All of these items greatly
influence academic performance.
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Table of Contents
Chapter
Page
1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………….4
Statement of the Problem………………………………………………………………….4
Purpose of the Paper………………………………………………………………………5
2. Review of Literature…………………………………………………………………………...6
3. Results………………………………………………………………………………………...10
4. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………11
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Learning Theories: Self-Regulation and Motivation
Chapter 1
Introduction
Statement of the Problem
Motivation and self-regulation are both factors that influence how higher education
students approach learning. They also play a significant role in student’s academic achievement.
Self-regulation has been defined by social cognitive theorists as “competence in monitoring and
regulating one’s learning via the use of a variety of cognitive and metacognitive strategies,
including goal setting and planning, organizing and transforming information, and monitoring
understanding etc.” (Ning & Downing, 2012). Self-regulation is essentially the process in which
students actively take part in his/her own learning process (Avci, 2013). Motivation has been
described as a multiplicative function. According to J. Atkinson, motivation is “a multiplicative
function of the strength of the motive, the expectancy (subjective probability) that the act will
have as a consequence the attainment of an incentive, and the value of the incentive: Motivation
= ƒ(Motive χ Expectancy χ Incentive)” (Perrot et al., 2001).
There is substantial evidence that higher education students learn in different ways
(Donche et al., 2013). Research has provided evidence that higher education students study
differently, have different approaches to learning, and process learning contents differently
(Donche et al., 2013). A large number of extensive research has been conducted to investigate
these different approaches to learning as well as the process. Previous research has shown the
effects self-regulation and motivation have on a student’s learning approach and have applied
this approach to a student’s academic performance (Ning & Downing, 2012). However, there
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are minimal studies targeted at higher education students, specifically health professions students
(Perrot et al., 2001). There is an increasing interest in the approaches to learning of healthcare
students (Baxter et al., 2013). The main objective of this paper is to discuss the relationship selfregulation and motivation share with academic achievement when applied to healthcare students.
Purpose of Paper
The purpose of this paper is to study the roles motivation and self-regulation play in
student’s academic achievement. To conduct this study, researchers Ning and Downing
surveyed undergraduate students to measure their learning experience, self-regulation, and
motivation. The study reviewed the effects self-regulation and motivation have on the academic
performance of higher education students. The data collected from the questionnaires were
analyzed and the study conducted was able to provide further insight on the topic. The findings
are discussed as well as the limitations.
After reviewing the literature of Ning and Downing, current research of both theories are
discussed as well as their influence on health profession students.
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Chapter 2
Review of Literature
Past research has focused on the student approaches to learning (SAL) framework (Ning
& Downing, 2012). This framework provides insight to student behavior by suggesting that
students’ choice of deep or surface approaches to learning is dependent on their experience with
regard to their interaction with the teaching and learning environment (Ning & Downing, 2012).
Although the SAL framework allows us to better understand student behavior, it falls short in
recognizing the flexibility of motivation and self-regulation in the learning environment (Ning &
Downing, 2012). While the SAL framework has its shortcomings, the self-regulated learning
(SRL) framework provides a comprehensive perspective of the learning process by incorporating
mainstream cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational theories (Ning & Downing, 2012). The
SRL framework refers to the self-directive processes and self-beliefs that enable learners to
transform their mental abilities into an academic performance skill (Zimmerman, 2008).
Students use the SRL process to acquire academic skill such as setting goals and self-monitoring
one’s effectiveness (Zimmerman, 2008). The SRL framework provides a more specific
description of study motives and strategies than the SAL model (Ning & Downing, 2012).
Although numerous research has been conducted to examine the significance of learning
experience on influencing student’s choice of different approaches to learning, minimal research
focuses on its specific impact on motivation and self-regulation as well as these factors being
predictors of academic achievement (Ning & Downing, 2012). Researchers Hoi Kwan Ning and
Kevin Downing attempt to elaborate more on this topic in their article “Influence of student
learning experience on academic performance: the mediator and moderator effects of selfregulation and motivation.”
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The main purpose of Ning and Downing’s research to examine how student learning
experience influences self-regulation, motivation, and academic performance. There are various
perspectives surrounding the concepts of self-regulation and motivation. Social cognitive
theorists have characterized self-regulation as “competence in monitoring and regulating one’s
learning via the use of a variety of cognitive and metacognitive strategies, including goal setting
and planning, organizing and transforming information, and monitoring understanding” (Ning &
Downing, 2012). Social cognitive theorists have also provided various perspectives on the
theory of motivation such as the self-determination theory and the achievement motivation
theory. The self-determination theory defines intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic
motivation refers to performing activities to obtain an externally imposed reward (Seo, 2013). In
contrast, intrinsic motivation refers to the activity as enjoyable and performed in a selfdetermined way (Seo, 2013). It also focuses on the impact of social environment factors on
motivation (Ning & Downing, 2012). On the other hand, there is also the achievement
motivation theory which suggests students are motivated by mastery goals or performance goals.
Performance oriented students focus on demonstrating competence through comparison with
others (Ning & Downing, 2012). These students want praise or a reward. Mastery oriented
students choose to become more competent and desire to comprehend the material (Perrot et al.,
2001). They know the material requires hard work but are willing to accept the challenge to
increase their knowledge. Mastery-oriented students have the skills required for life-long
learning (Perrot et al., 2001). Both the self-determination theory and achievement motivation
theory expand on the distinction between “learning for the sake of acquiring knowledge (mastery
goal orientation or intrinsic motivation) and learning for the sake of obtaining good grades (a
performance goal or extrinsic motivation)” (Ning & Downing, 2012).
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Ning and Downing’s study aimed to examine how learning experience interact with
student motivation and self-regulation to predict academic performance. They hypothesized that
both factors would have mediating effects on the relationship between learning experience and
academic performance (Ning & Downing, 2012). They believed that students with high levels of
motivation and self-regulation could perform academically well regardless of situational
constraints in the learning environment (Ning & Downing, 2012). They also hypothesized that
student motivation and self-regulation could potentially serve as moderators that alter the
strength of the relationship between learning experience and academic achievement (Ning &
Downing, 2012).
To conduct their research, Ning and Downing recruited 384 senior undergraduate
students from a university in Hong Kong. Majority of the students were females and the age
range for all students was from 22 to 24 years old. All of the participants were from the same
major. The students were asked to complete the questionnaires prior to the final exams during
their regular class sessions. They were briefed on the reason for the surveys and confidentiality
was confirmed (Ning & Downing, 2012). There was no time limit to complete the surveys but
the average time was 35 to 45 minutes.
To assess the student’s undergraduate experience, the researchers used a modified version
of the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). The CEQ assess the quality of teaching, clear
goals and standards, workload, assessment methods, and study skills (Ning & Downing, 2012).
The questionnaire consisted of 24 items that the students would rate based on their perception of
the undergraduate program as a whole using a scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly
agree (Ning & Downing, 2012).
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To assess the student’s self-regulation, the researchers used seven scales from the
Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI). The seven scales included the following:
time management, self-testing, study aids, information processing, selecting main ideas, test
strategies, and concentration. The LASSI was also used to measure motivation and student
attitude. Each of the scales included eight items which students answered on a Likert-type scale
ranging from “not at all like me” to “very much like me” (Ning & Downing, 2012).
The results from the study showed that learning experience has a positive effect on the
mediators (self-regulation and motivation). It also showed that these mediators have direct effect
on academic performance. This study also discovered the positive relationship between learning
experience and cumulative grade point average (GPA) is stronger for students who reported
lower levels of both motivation and self-regulation (Ning & Downing, 2012). Overall, the study
showed that self-regulation and motivation mediated the relationship between learning
experience and academic performance. In addition, the study showed that both factors had a
small moderating effect on the relationship between learning experience and academic
performance (Ning & Downing, 2012).
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Chapter 3
Results
Ning and Downing were able to determine the positive relationship motivation and selfregulation have on academic performance. One can apply the research conducted by Ning and
Downing to health profession students. Higher education students must exert high levels of
motivation and require self-directed learning to effectively work toward their educational goals.
Health profession students typically depict mastery-oriented motivation. They must be
motivated to develop lifelong learning habits if they are to maintain competence in the subject.
There are numerous difficulties health profession students experience during their
graduate programs. These difficulties can be related to student motivation and goal orientation
(Perrot et al., 2001). A few of the types of motivation used in graduate healthcare settings
include: being adequately prepared to practice, a sense of vocation, the potential rewards of the
job, an interest in learning, achievement, a focus on goals, passing assessment, the social aspects
of learning, peer regard, working with people, role models, and linking theory with practice
(Baxter et al., 2013). One cannot be academically successful without setting goals. Goals are
not only an important motivator but are displayed via self-regulation. “The regulation of
motivation by goal setting is a remarkably robust phenomenon” (Koch & Nafziger, 2011).
Focusing on health profession students in particular, they set challenging goals which helps them
strive harder. They are motivated by the fear of not reaching their goal.
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Chapter 4
Conclusion
Motivation and self-regulation are both cognitive factors that influence learning. They
can play both a mediating and moderating role in the relationship between learning experience
and academic performance. Setting goals as a motivating factor particularly influences selfregulated learning. Self-regulated learners feed off of that goal by employing goal-directed
strategies and monitoring and adjusting those strategies to ensure success. Health profession
students in particular must apply these strategies to succeed. They use mastery-oriented
motivation methods to increase competence and understanding. Each of these cognitive factors
can be used to affect academic performance and learning.
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References
Avci, S. (2013). Relations between self regulation, future time perspective and the delay of
gratification in university students. Education, 133(4), 525-536.
Baxter, L., Mattick, K., & Kuyken, W. (2013). Assessing health care students’ intentions and
motivations for learning: the healthcare learning and studying inventory (HLSI).
Advance in Health Science Education, 18, 451-462.
Donche, V., Maeyer, S. D., Coertjens, L., Daal, T. V., Petegem, P.V. (2013). Differential use of
learning strategies in first-year higher education: the impact of personality, academic
motivation, and teaching strategies. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 83, 238251.
Koch, A.K., & Nafziger, J. (2011). Self-regulation through goal setting. The Scandinavian
Journal of Economics, 113(1), 212-227.
Ning, H. K., & Downing, K. (2012). Influence of student learning experience on academic
performance: the mediator and moderator effects of self-regulation. British Educational
Research Journal, 38(2), 219-237.
Perrot, L. J., Deloney, L. A., Hastings, J. K., Savell, S., & Savidge, M. (2001). Measuring
student motivation in health profession' colleges. Advances in Health Sciences Education,
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Seo, E.H. (2013). A comparison of active and passive procrastination in relation to academic
motivation. Social Behavior and Personality, 41(5), 777-786.
SELF-REGULATION AND MOTIVATION
Zimmerman, B.J. (2008). Invetingating self-regulation and motivation: historical background,
methodological developments, and future prospects. American Educational Research
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