Learning and Covid 19 – a challenge for self-regulation

An empirical study

Project management: 
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Barbara Schober
Ass.-Prof. Dr. Marko Lüftenegger
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dr. Christiane Spiel

Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna

Self-regulation and the competence of self-regulated learning (SRL) are considered important determinants of learning outcomes, well-being, and ultimately health. However, many studies show that learners often do not use SRL in their everyday life and find corresponding strategies tedious and unnecessary. Accordingly, the theoretically assumed positive effects of SRL are not consistently proven. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, millions of students and even more schoolchildren worldwide now face a fundamentally altered situation after schools and universities made an unprepared switch to home learning: self-regulated learning and studying has become a necessity. A longitudinal study will examine how they manage to adapt, investigating the following questions: How is the well-being of the students? How do they succeed in dealing with the new learning situation? What makes it easier and more difficult for them to cope with the new situation? What role does social integration play? What are psychological characteristics and general conditions for learners to adapt over time and to better cope with the situation? What causes learning to become more difficult and thus learning outcomes to diminish? How does this affect well-being? Participants in the study are students from age ten up to college and university students (except Ph.D. students). Data collection is conducted via an online surveys and telephone interviews.

The study is financially supported by the Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF).