Characteristics of the self-regulation of middle school students in Russia during the period of distance learning

Distance learning can be considered as “self-regulated learning” as it involves students managing their own time, planning their own activities, and taking an active part in interactive communication with classmates and the teacher. The purpose of the study is to identify problems in middle school students’ self-regulation of learning activities during the period of distance learning. Based on a comparative analysis of international research, the study identifies the structural components of self-regulation in distance learning including self-organization, goal setting, planning, prediction, self-control, self-assessment, and reflection. The most significant structural component is students’ self-organization, which implies making a daily schedule, recording the tasks performed, controlling one’s actions in accordance with the daily schedule, as well as independently allocating time for homework. The study is based on a survey of 196 middle school students in the Republic of Komi, Russia. The results of the survey allow identifying the most vulnerable areas of students’ self-regulatory activity in the process of planning, organizing, and controlling their time and individual learning activities in a distance learning environment. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using the data obtained to improve the process of distance learning. The materials of the study may be of use to managers, methodologists, and teachers in secondary education in developing methodological recommendations for students regarding the development of self-regulatory skills of middle school students.