The Role of Positive Regard in Self-Regulated Learning: An Analysis of Student Evaluation Data.

Learning outcomes in classroom settings are impacted by many components of the course structure and delivery. One of these is positive regard from the instructor as perceived by students. Similarly, perceived positive regard is an important aspect of learning outcomes in a distance education environment, although the ways in which regard are shown are much different. The present study seeks to quantify the impact of perceived positive regard on learning outcomes in both classroom and distance modalities and compare the results for similarities and differences. Data from the Student Instructional Report, both classroom and distance versions, from the authors’ institution is used to validate the relationships among positive regard, motivation, and learning outcomes shown in Eflides’s (2011) metacognitive and affective model of self-regulated learning (MASRL). Analysis of data from one academic year of available data does support these relationships, with some differences found between distance and traditional classroom settings. Support and suggested direction for future research on the role of positive regard in distance learning are offered.