Non-cognitive predictors of self-regulated learning skills in university students with specific learning disorders

Students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) face ongoing academic challenges that persist into higher education. However, up to date, few studies have focused in assessing the non-cognitive predictors of self-regulated learning (SRL) skills, specifically considering university students with SLD. This cross-sectional correlational study examined how motivational factors (academic self-efficacy and learning goals), academic anxiety, and academic resilience contribute to SRL skills. The AMOS questionnaire was used to assess these variables in a sample of 88 university students with SLD in Italy. Participants were recruited during the renewal process of their diagnostic assessments. Hierarchical regression revealed that motivational factors were the strongest predictors of SRL skills. While academic anxiety did not show a significant main effect, its interaction with gender emerged, indicating that anxiety has a more pronounced negative relationship with SRL skills in female students. These findings underscore the importance of interventions that foster positive motivational factors and address academic anxiety, particularly for women, to support SRL skills in higher education students with SLD.