Date
8-20-2026
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Maryna Svirska-Otero
Keywords
metacognition, note-taking, self-regulated learning, digital vs analog learning tools, learning motivation
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
McLain, Terrill Reid, "A Quantitative Causal-Comparative Investigation of the Intrinsic Goal Orientation, Self-Efficacy for Learning and Performance, and Metacognitive Self-Regulation Among the Handwritten, Typed, or No Note-Taking Strategies of Korean University Students" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8737.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8737
Abstract
The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative causal-comparative study was to determine if there was a difference in intrinsic goal orientation, self-efficacy for learning and performance, and metacognitive self-regulation between the choice of note-taking strategies of handwritten, typed, and no note-taking methods among Korean university students. This study is important because it adds to the discussion about whether a student's note-taking method reflects underlying differences in self-regulated learning. Using purposive and convenience sampling at a university in South Korea, 129 currently enrolled Korean undergraduate students were recruited and self-sorted into three groups based on their most used note-taking strategy for their studies (handwritten, n = 81; typed, n = 31; no notes, n = 17). Using an online survey through Qualtrics, participants completed three subscales of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire in the weeks preceding midterm examinations to see if there were self-regulated learning score differences between the groups. Data were analyzed using a one-way multivariate analysis of variance and found no differences. The conclusion suggests that the note-taking method alone may not determine learning effectiveness, and that future research on note-taking should include other learning-related variables using experimental, mixed-methods, quantitative and qualitative designs. Limitations, including the unbalanced group sizes, are also discussed.
