Validating and applying an adapted OSLQ to examine adult learners’ online self-regulation

ABSTRACT

This study adapted and validated Barnard’s Online Self-Regulated Learning Questionnaire (OSLQ) to assess adult learners’ (n = 1302) online self-regulation, and examined its relation with attitude towards online learning and perceived online learning satisfaction. It was found that age and employment status were important demographic factors influencing adult learners’ online self-regulation. Specifically, middle- and late-career learners perceived themselves to be more self-regulated than early career learners, and self-employed learners perceived themselves to be more self-regulated than out-of-labour learners. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that online self-regulation contributed to adult learners’ perceived online learning satisfaction over and above attitude towards online learning and demographic variables. This suggests that online self-regulation is an important predictor of adult learners’ online learning satisfaction. Further, within the subscales of online self-regulation, it was found that the more participants set goals and sought help while learning online, the more satisfied they perceived their online learning. Implications for supporting adult learners’ online self-regulation and online learning were discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Online learning
• adult learning
• self-regulation
• online learning satisfaction

Acknowledgements

We thank all the participants who have responded to this survey.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The Skills and Learning Study (SLS) was conducted in 2017 by the Institute for Adult Learning, to track skills utilisation in Singapore. The SLS sample is representative of Singapore residents’ population aged 20–70.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by SkillsFuture Singapore [IAL (Institute of Adult Learning) institutional fund].