Sustainable Lifelong Learning Competence: Understanding University Students’ Self-Regulated Learning in Flipped Classrooms by Combining Questionnaire and Learning Analytics Data

As an important sustainable lifelong learning competence, self-regulated learning involves a continuous process of self-monitoring and self-directing towards a learning goal. This study examined the level of alignment between university students’ self-regulated learning (SRL) profiles using questionnaire data and learning analytics data in flipped classrooms. On the one hand, a hierarchical cluster analysis using the questionnaire data generated two learning profiles of high and low self-regulated (SR) learners. On the other hand, a hierarchical cluster analysis using the questionnaire data produced two learning profiles of active and passive online learners. Although a cross-tabulation analysis showed a significant and positive relationship between students’ learning profiles identified using the questionnaire and learning analytics data, the association was rather weak. Of the high SR learners, there was a significantly higher proportion of active online learners than passive online learners. In contrast, among low SR learners, a significantly lower proportion of active online learners than passive online learners was found. Furthermore, high SR and active online learners and high SR and passive online learners had significantly better academic achievement than low SR and active online learners and low SR and passive online learners, demonstrating the importance of SR in flipped classrooms.