Investigating the impact of metacognitive regulation on students’ academic performance: a quantitative study of Chinese distance learners

Abstract

Distance learners are required to manage their learning processes independently, yet empirical evidence on how different components of metacognitive regulation relate to academic performance remains limited in the Chinese distance education context. This study examines the roles of planning, monitoring, regulation, and self-efficacy, as well as the mediating role of task strategies. A quantitative survey was conducted with 381 Chinese distance learners. Data were analyzed using PLS-SEM to test direct and mediated relationships among metacognitive regulation components, task strategies, and perceived academic performance. Metacognitive monitoring, regulation, and self-efficacy showed significant positive associations with academic performance, while planning showed only a marginal effect. Task strategies were positively related to performance and were significantly predicted by all metacognitive components, supporting a mediated pathway from regulation processes to learning outcomes. The findings indicate that monitoring accuracy, adaptive regulation, and self-efficacy are key factors linked to performance in distance learning, partly through their support of effective task strategies. The results highlight the importance of strengthening metacognitive regulation capacities in online and distance education settings.