Motivation and socially shared regulation in higher education : a systematic review

Abstract

In recent years, there has been growing attention on Socially Shared Regulation of Learning (SSRL) jointly with the elevated importance of Collaborative Learning (CL) as it fosters critical thinking, peer interaction, and the development of higher-order cognitive and social skills essential for lifelong learning. SSRL refers to a collaborative process in which group members collectively regulate their shared learning activities. Studies in SSRL examine different aspects of learning, encompassing cognitive, metacognitive, and socioemotional processes that emerge during CL. Motivation is frequently examined as an important dimension in SSRL-related studies; however, there remains a lack of consensus regarding the theoretical frameworks and measurement approaches used to investigate it. Therefore, it is crucial to holistically and comparatively review how motivation is conceptualized, measured, and identified in research related to SSRL, as well as to identify gaps in the current literature and areas for future study. A systematic literature review, based on the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, was conducted to analyze studies on motivation within the context of SSRL at the university level. The search process identified 21 studies directly addressing motivation in collaborative context. The review found that motivation has been conceptualized through various theoretical frameworks, revealing a complex and multifaceted understand-ing influenced by cognitive, emotional, and social factors. Additionally, most studies relied on self-reports to measure motivation. However, future research is encouraged to explore alternative measurement methods to gain a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of motivation, as well as to focus on larger sample sizes. The findings of this review offer a clearer understanding of motivation conceptualization in SSRL and its research gaps, providing valuable direction for future studies.