What does engagement tell us about low-achieving learners’ motivational changes in a mobile-assisted personalized SRL training program?

Purpose This study aims to investigate low-achieving learners’ motivational changes in a self-regulated learning (SRL) training program featuring a personalized mechanism and an agency-supported design. Learners’ changes in self-efficacy, task value and goal orientations were examined in tandem with engagement to capture the multidimensionality of motivation. Design/methodology/approach This mixed-method study collected both quantitative data (n = 27) via questionnaires and log files, and qualitative data (n = 4) through semi-structured individual interviews and written accounts. Nonparametric tests were used for quantitative analysis while events from the log data were defined and coded as engagement, performance-goal-related behaviors and mastery-goal-related behaviors. Qualitative data went through content analysis in which instances relevant to motivational changes and the underlying factors were identified. Findings For participants whose data revealed aligned changes in motivation and engagement, the interactions between engagement and different goal orientations were highlighted; furthermore, their self-efficacy beliefs and perceived task value were positively influenced by the opportunities for self-management and agency-supported design realized through mobile learning. There were also participants whose data showed a diverging direction of changes between motivation and engagement. Possible factors contributing to this divergence relate to their strong performance goal orientation and hazy metacognitive knowledge. Originality/value Teachers interested in helping increase learners’ motivation for SRL are encouraged to take advantage of learners’ behavioral data as complementary to self-report data. Understanding what contributed to the differences will help teachers pinpoint difficulties low-achieving learners face and optimize the training program. Metacognitive knowledge and performance goal orientations are two particularly important elements needing to be addressed in the future.