Exploring the effect of various variables on lifelong learning tendencies, self-regulated online learning skills and online learning challenges of pre-service teachers using MOOCs

This study aimed to investigate whether there were significant differences among self-regulation in MOOCs, lifelong learning tendencies, and student barriers to online learning scores for pre-service teachers from different fields with high/low self-regulated online learning skills, online learning barriers, and life-long learning tendencies. It also identified whether being in the high/low self-regulated learning group, lifelong learning group, branch, gender, and purposes of MOOC usage had a significant impact on self-regulated learning, online learning barriers, and lifelong learning. In line with the research questions, the causal-comparative research method was employed. Using the purposive sampling method, 452 pre-service teachers from various fields at three different universities who use MOOCs were selected. The use of MOOCs by pre-service teachers was a prerequisite for this research. For the data collection process of the research, the Lifelong Learning Tendency Scale was used to determine the lifelong learning tendencies of pre-service teachers who had used MOOCs. The self-regulated Online Learning Questionnaire was employed to assess the self-regulated learning levels of learners in online learning environments, and the Scale of Student Barriers to Online Learning was utilized to determine the levels of difficulty encountered by the participants in MOOC environments. Hierarchical and k-means clustering analyses were performed to establish groups as high and low for self-regulation, online learning barriers, and lifelong learning, followed by independent samples t-tests to detect significant differences among these groups. Manova was also applied to identify whether branch, gender, and purposes of MOOC usage had a significant impact on self-regulated online learning, online learning barriers, and life-long learning tendencies. The findings indicated that the pre-service teachers who had high SRL (self-regulated learning) skills demonstrated higher lifelong learning tendencies and sub-dimensions compared to the low SRL groups. However, no statistically significant difference was found between them in terms of online learning barriers. The pre-service teachers with low online learning barriers had higher self-regulation, and it differed from the ones who had high online learning barriers in terms of metacognitive skills and environmental structuring. The pre-service teachers with high lifelong learning tendencies were found to have lower scores on online learning barriers compared to those with low lifelong learning tendencies They were identified as differing in the sub-factors of social interaction, time and support for studies, academic and technical skills, administrative issues, cost, and access to the Internet. The pre-service teachers with low online learning barriers exhibited high lifelong learning tendencies. Differences had been identified between the high and low online learning barrier groups in all sub-dimensions except for persistence. It had been found that female pre-service teachers had lower self-regulation and higher online learning barriers compared to their male counterparts, while among pre-service teachers, using MOOCs as professional development increased self-regulated learning. Suggestions have been provided for MOOC designers to leverage the self-regulated learning skills and lifelong learning tendencies of pre-service teachers using MOOCs, as well as to minimize student barriers to online learning. These recommendations apply to instructors for addressing content-related issues, enhancing learning experiences for pre-service teachers, and assisting MOOC designers in the design process.