The Relationship between Growth Mindset and Self-regulated Learning of Adult Learners in a Distance University: Moderated Mediating Effect of Task Value through Academic Self-efficacy

Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of academic self-efficacy on the relationship between growth mindset and self-regulated learning as perceived by adult learners enrolled in a distance university and whether the mediating effect is moderated by perceived task value. Methods For this purpose, 274 adult learners (56 males and 218 females) aged 20 years and above enrolled in C cyber university were administered the growth mindset, academic self-efficacy, task value, and self-regulated learning tests online. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and SPSS PROCESS Macro version 4.2 to test for mediation and moderated mediation effects, and to test the significance of indirect effects using the bootstrapping method. Results First, the mediating effect of academic self-efficacy on the relationship between growth mindset and self-regulated learning was significant, i.e., the higher the growth mindset, the higher the academic self-efficacy, and the more actively students engaged in self-regulated learning. Second, the moderated mediation effect of perceived task value revealed that the mediating effect of academic self-efficacy on the relationship between growth mindset and self-regulated learning depends on the level of perceived task value, i.e., the higher the level of perceived task value of the learning content, the higher the mediating effect of academic self-efficacy on the relationship between growth mindset and self-regulated learning. Conclusions This study showed that adult learners with a growth mindset have higher academic self-efficacy, which leads to higher levels of self-regulated learning, and that the positive effect of academic self-efficacy on self-regulated learning may be greater when they have a higher perceived task value for the subject matter they are learning. Therefore, it is recommended that teaching and learning strategies and programs that simultaneously increase growth mindset, academic self-efficacy, and perceived task value should be developed to promote self-regulated learning among adult learners at distance universities.