College students' regulation of cognition, motivation, behavior, and context: Distinct or overlapping processes?

The assumption that students can actively regulate multiple aspects of the learning process is foundational among many prominent conceptual models of self-regulated learning. However, empirical evidence does not yet clearly support the distinction between regulation of cognition, motivation, behavior, and context. This study (N = 273) focused on providing initial evidence on the distinction between cognitive, motivational, behavioral, and contextual aspects of college students' self-regulated learning and their unique roles in an integrated model with motivational antecedents and behavioral outcomes. Our findings demonstrate that students' reported use of regulatory strategies associated with motivation, cognition, behavior, and context are empirically distinct but closely related factors that each reflects a more general tendency for students to regulate their own learning. Our findings also indicate that the regulatory strategies associated with each of the four areas of self-regulated learning differentially associate with motivational antecedents and behavioral outcomes. •We provide empirical evidence on the distinction between regulation of cognition, motivation, behavior, and context.•The use of cognitive, motivational, behavioral, and contextual regulation strategies were distinct but related processes.•The four types of regulatory strategies were differentially associated with motivational antecedents and behavioral outcomes.