Motivation and Self-Regulation in Online Courses: A Comparative Analysis of Undergraduate and Graduate Students

This study provides a comparative analysis of undergraduate and graduate students’ academic motivation and selfregulation while learning online. Participants (N = 82) completed a survey that assessed several experiential, motivational, and self-regulatory factors. As hypothesized, graduate students reported higher levels of critical thinking than undergraduates. Moreover, after controlling for experiential differences, logistic regression analyses indicated that graduate student membership was predicted by higher levels of critical thinking, lower levels of procrastination, and lower intentions to enroll in future online courses. Implications for online instructors and suggestions for future research are discussed.