Navigating time and space: examining the impact of contextual factors and self-regulation strategies on university students’ momentary engagement

Abstract

This study presents a tool to capture students’ academic activities and engagement dynamics in university settings. It explores how strategies to manage time and study environments interact with contextual factors (i.e. study time, learning events, and study locations) in predicting students’ concentration and cognitive learning strategies in 81 students using experience sampling method. Findings show that students who are more capable of managing their time and study environment tend to exhibit reduced susceptibility to the influences of time and types of learning events. Furthermore, the positive relationships between time and study environment management and cognitive learning strategies are stronger in formal settings or residences than in informal settings. This study underscores the significance of self-regulation strategies for learning, especially in diverse university environments, for fostering optimal learning experiences.