Self-efficacy and Emotion Regulation as Moderators in the Relationship Between Learning Strategies of Students and Academic Performance: Evidence from India

Abstract

This study aims to explore the learning strategies employed by students in response to web-based teaching during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Data collected from 373 students from the southern part of India were analysed using the Hayes’ PROCESS macros. The results suggest that learning strategies significantly predict (a) academic performance and (b) growth mindset. The findings also indicate the positive relationship between students’ growth mindset and academic performance. Most importantly, students’ self-efficacy has strengthened the positive association between learning strategies and a growth mindset. As the global pandemic has created stressful situations for the students by suddenly switching to web-based teaching, the study found that emotion regulation is an essential moderator in the relationship between learning strategies and a growth mindset. The conceptual model developed, based on the achievement goal theory, was tested in the Indian context. The theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.