Conceptual clarification about co-regulation of learning: An integrative review

Abstract

There has been a lack of conceptual clarification about co-regulation of learning (CRL). Moreover, the use of different terminologies (e.g., social shared regulation, collaborative learning, and shared learning) to refer to CRL is somewhat common, even though they are different concepts. An integrative review was conducted with a predominantly qualitative approach and an exploratory theoretical basis. The goal is to characterize CRL, providing conceptual clarity and understanding. A total of 56 papers that explicitly address the concept of CRL were analyzed and the characteristics of CRL were organized and then grouped according to their response to three guiding questions: What is CRL? How is CRL used? and Why is CRL used? A qualitative content analysis revealed 42 characteristics of CRL. Statistical significance tests were conducted and highlighted the 9 most relevant findings. This study contributes to a conceptual clarification of CRL by defining guidelines that might be useful to drive pedagogical practices and, in final instance, promote self-regulation of learning.