A meta-analysis of the correlation between self-regulated learning strategies and academic performance in online and blended learning environments

Abstract

The present meta-analysis examines the association between different self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies and academic performance in online and blended learning environments. A database search identified a total of 42 studies from 37 articles from 2011 to 2022, containing 115 effect sizes from 11,014 participants in K-12 and higher education. The overall effect size between SRL strategies and academic performance was .14. We did not detect any significant moderation effects except for educational level. To examine the differences in how SRL strategies are linked to academic performance, we compared the relationships between different SRL strategies with academic performance at two different levels: 16 specific SRL strategies (operational level) and four categories of SRL strategies (conceptual level). We found that, at the conceptual level, all four SRL strategies were significantly correlated with academic performance. On the operational level of SRL strategies, the results showed that rehearsal, organization, metacognitive strategy, time management, effort regulation, and general SRL strategies were effective strategies associated with academic performance. The present findings contribute to the future advancement of SRL research in online learning and guide the development of targeted SRL interventions.