The Double-Edged Interactions of Prompts and Self-efficacy

Abstract By activating self-regulation processes, prompts affect strategy use and learning outcomes. This study investigates the effects of cognitive and metacognitive prompts on strategy use and learning outcomes. Since enactive self-regulation processes represent the basis for self-efficacy judgements, we also investigated the effects of cognitive and metacognitive prompts on the development of learners’ self-efficacy. Alternatively, based on the concept of aptitude-treatment interactions, it is proposed that learners’ self-efficacy moderates the effects of prompts on learners’ self-reported online strategy use and their learning outcomes. While learning with hypermedia, N = 70 students either received cognitive and metacognitive prompts or learned without prompts. Self-efficacy was measured before, during, and directly after learning. Learning outcomes were assessed after learning. Strategy use was assessed via self-report and the quality of learning strategies in learners’ notes. Prompting had no effect on self-reported cognitive and metacognitive online strategy use, the quality of learning strategies, and learning outcomes but increased learners’ self-efficacy within the experimental group. Following the theoretical argumentation of aptitude-treatment interactions, moderation analyses indicated that the effect of prompts on learning outcomes was dependent on learners’ self-efficacy during learning. Thus, learners perceived self-efficacy during learning influenced the effectiveness of the prompts. Further research should investigate the interrelations between cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational factors to better understand how self-regulation can effectively be fostered in hypermedia environments.