Mindsets and Self-Concepts About Self-Regulated Learning: Their Relationships With Emotions, Strategy Knowledge, and Academic Achievement

Impact of emotional intelligence and academic self-concept on the academic performance of educational sciences undergraduates

Over the last few years, the inclusion of psychosocial factors in the teaching and learning processes has become increasingly important due to their proven influence on students' academic performance, especially at the university stage. In this regard, the aim of this study is to analyse the impact of emotional intelligence and academic self-concept on the students' academic achievement. The results obtained revealed some differences according to gender in all the variables considered. Specifically, women presented higher levels of emotional attention, academic self-concept and performance, while men stood out in emotional clarity and emotional repair. The findings obtained show the importance of including psychosocial factors in university training plans.

Cardiac Autonomic Activity, Personality Traits, and Academic Performance in First-Year Medical Students: A Gender-Specific Relation

Background It is not always the sincere or hardworking or intelligent student that gets the highest grades. Exploring unknown dimensions that may distinguish academic performance in adolescents/youth migrating from a high school study environment to that of a professional school and in a learning environment without parental supervision for the first time remains important. We hypothesized that cardiac autonomic activity influenced by cognitive domain factors and emotions would predict academic success in them. Further, we investigated which of their personality traits related to academic performance. Exploratory gender-based analysis was included. Methods A prospective cohort study measured first-year medical students' resting heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), and personality traits (from the self-reported NEO Five-Factor Inventory-3). Spearman's correlation coefficient tested the correlation between the year-end final aggregate marks and assessed parameters, including subgroup analysis based on gender. Regression analyses of variables with academic marks were performed in the entire cohort. Results The aggregate marks of 81 volunteering students (Mage = 18.7, SD = 0.8 years; 42 females, 39 males) as a cohort did not correlate with their resting heart rate or HRV indices. Subgroup analysis revealed a positive correlation between marks and high-frequency power (r = 0.33, p= 0.03) and total power (r = 0.37, p= 0.02) of HRV in females. The marks positively correlated with the personality conscientiousness score (r = 0.32, p= 0.04) and extraversion score (r = 0.34, p= 0.03) in females. Multivariable regression analysis in the entire cohort revealed no significant interactions. Conclusion Academic performance was significantly related to cardiac autonomic modulation and personality traits of conscientiousness and extraversion in female but not male first-year medical students. These results indicate a gender-specific difference in the relation between scholastic performance and HRV in adolescents/youth transiting from high school to professional schools and entering a study environment without parental supervision for the first time. Further our data expands the knowledge base of educational psychology among them.

Enjoyment, boredom, and perceived effectiveness of learners in language MOOCs: the mediating effect of self-regulated learning

Self-regulated learning in technology-supported environments has attracted much scholarly attention in recent years. With the rapid expansion of online education, students' emotions have also been studied extensively in second language acquisition. However, few empirical studies have examined the interrelationship between students' self-regulated learning and emotions in the emerging field of language MOOCs (LMOOCs). This study bridged this gap by exploring the relationship between foreign language enjoyment (FLE), boredom (FLB), self-regulated learning (SRL), and perceived effectiveness in LMOOC learning. Data were collected among 356 successful learners of a language MOOC in mainland China through a cross-sectional study. The results showed that LMOOC learners had a high level of enjoyment and a moderate level of boredom. A significantly positive relationship was noted between FLE and SRL while a negative relationship was found between FLB and SRL. SRL was confirmed to be the mediator between FLE, FLB, and PE, which partially mediated the effects of FLE on PE and fully mediated the effects of FLB on PE. Perceived effectiveness was predicted by all SRL strategies and time management significantly predicted perceived effectiveness. The results provided pedagogical implications for students to develop positive emotions and effective SRL strategies to achieve better learning outcomes in LMOOC learning.

A meta-analysis of MOOCs-based academic achievement, engagement, motivation, and self-regulation during the COVID-19 pandemic

Massive open online courses (MOOCs)-based education has gained a great popularity especially during this special COVID-19 pandemic time. This study, aiming to summarize the effectiveness of MOOCs, seems meaningful and necessary. Through a meta-analysis using Stata/MP 14.0, this study concludes that MOOCs-based education could significantly improve academic achievements and motivation rather than self-regulation and engagement compared with the non-MOOCs-based approach. Blended, independent, and gamified instead of interactive MOOCs could significantly improve academic achievements compared with their counterparts. Different approaches to MOOCs could not predict academic achievements. Future research into MOOCs-based education could focus on how to blend elements of gamification and interaction, as well as instructional methods, with MOOCs-based education.