Training students that are able to work and study autonomously and during their whole life (long life learning) is one of the goals of the higher education linked to “opportunities to develop the capacity to regulate their own learning as they progress through higher education” (Nicol & Macfarlane-Dick 2006, p.215). Having self-regulation skills is associated to a better academic level and success (Zimmerman & Schunk, 2008) as well as to the opportunity to train students for their future professional development and their life beyond formal education (Kitsantas, Winsler, & Huie, 2008). In the context of teacher education, self-regulated learning (SRL) becomes even more relevant (Järvelä et al. 2016; Oosterheert & Vermunt, 2011; Panadero, 2017). Introducing SRL in pre-service teachers is through proposing activities and prepare the climate that enhances them to self-regulate their tasks (Panadero, 2017). In addition, SRL have to be a “must” in the training of pre-service teachers since they could transfer the practical design of learning when they become in-service teachers (Järvela et al., 2016).

As a study field derived from psychology, SRL applied to teaching is a relatively novel area of inquiry (Panadero, Jonsson & Strijbos, 2016; Heritage, 2018) with multiple implications for the improvement of teaching and learning in higher education.

Despite there is not a universal definition generally agreed in studies of SRL, since every model highlights different dimensions (Roth, Ogrin & Schmitz, 2016), at higher education level, self-regulated learning is known as the ability of students to plan, monitor, control and assess their ways of reasoning, their behaviour and motivation, for the development of their academic tasks (Kitsantas, Winsler, & Huie, 2008). The concept is related to self-directed and effective learning and it implies a combination of cognitive, motivational and strategic action elements (Perry, 2002), altogether with the ability of students to become an active agent that take responsibility in their learning and development (Zeidner, Boekaerts & Pintrich, 2000; Zimmerman 1990).

SRL represents a strategic dimension of learning connected to the autonomy, commitment, and responsibility (Gargallo, 2012) and from this perspective, it is a key component of teacher education and teaching profession. In-service teachers are constantly regulating their emotions and knowledge in order to adjust to their students and their needs. This problem-solving system is also a methodology that teacher education students put into practice during their academic years (Oosterheert & Vermunt, 2011). Järvelä et al. (2016) consider SRL as an important subject in the pre-service teachers’ training since they could transfer the practical design of learning when they become in-service teachers. Panadero (2017) points out that the way of introducing SRL in pre-service teachers is through proposing activities and prepare the climate that enhances them to self-regulate their tasks. For both pre-service and in-service teachers, SRL helps to reinforce their lifelong learning skills (Järvela et al., 2016; Zimmerman, 2002).

However, achieving SRL skills is not straight forward. It depends on a wide range of factors and the use of strategies and mechanisms is needed to put in place. The initial training represents a key moment in the way to achieve SRL capacity and prepare students with sustainable competencies for a future profession.

Therefore, starting from the premise of the critical importance SRL has in the programmes preparing teachers and the study aims to explore the perception pre-service have regarding the different SRL dimensions.

This research has been conducted as part of the project “Self-evaluation strategies to promote teachers’ self-regulation of learning and professional development (ref. 2017ARMIF00006), founded by the Research Grants to Improve Initial Teacher Training Programme of the Catalan Government. The project aims to advance the teaching intervention, validating and incorporating new teaching-learning and assessment practices, focusing especially on those that foster competence self-regulation. In addition, the project looks for the effects such practices have on the learning process and competence development, from the perspective of pre-service teachers and in-service teachers. In this communication we focus the analysis of factors promoting self-regulated learning among pre-service teachers). The fieldwork was conducted between September 2019 and June 2020 and consisted of applying an online self-administered questionnaire (adapted from the self-regulated learning perception scale of Turan, Demirel & Sayek (2009) entitled: Self-Regulated Learning Perception Scale (SRLPS) to a non-representative sample of 546 pre-service teachers from three different Catalan universities. 81.5% of the participants were women, their average age was 20 years and they came from the four grade levels of the Bachelor's Degree in Primary Education (32.8% from first grade, 41.4% from second grade, 18.9% from third grade and 7% from fourth grade). The original Self-Regulated Learning Perception Scale (SRLPS) is composed of 41 items grouped in four dimensions (i.e., motivation and action learning, planning and goal setting, strategies for learning and assessment and lack of self-directedness) and use a five-point Likert scale, ranging from strongly disagreed to strongly agree. The independent variables used in this study are students’ age, gender, university grade level, university access, ability for search for resources, learning motivation, proactive attitudes, and academic dependence. The dependent variables are learning strategies, assessment strategies and planning and goal setting. To accomplish the objectives of this research, first, a univariate and bivariate descriptive analysis of the data is performed, using the corresponding measures of association and significance tests. Three multiple regression models are developed to allow to check the independent effects through statistical control between the criterion variables used and the three SRL dimensions considered (i.e., learning strategies, assessment strategies and planning and goal setting).

Results show that self-regulation associate with planning and goal setting (e.g., planning to utilise resources and strategies to reach my goals, prioritising my goals or managing my time to learn as efficiently as possible) are the most developed among pre-service teachers (m=3.76, sd=0.66). On the other hand, although SRL practices related to assessment strategies are highly valued, they seem to be the least used among the participants (m=3.54, sd=0.56). Multiple regressions models showed no significance relationship between sociodemographic variables (i.e., age and gender), university grade level, university access and two of the SRL dimensions considered: learning strategies and planning and goal setting. However, regarding assessment strategies, male students (Beta=0.059, p<0.1) from the first-grade level use these assessment strategies slightly more. Primary teacher education students’ capacity for searching resources (e.g., identifying the resources needed during the learning process; identifying the learning materials that will help me to learn; searching for ways to facilitate learning in new situations) is clearly contributing to a higher use of learning strategies (Beta=0.238, p<0.000), assessment strategies (Beta=0,199, p<0.000) and planning and setting goals practices (Beta=0.346 , p<0.000).However, high proactive attitudes among the students have a greater impact on three SRL practices analysed with betas ranging from Beta=0.526 (p<0.000) to Beta=0.228 (p<0.000). Additionally, assessment strategies (Beta= 0.060, p<0.1) and planning and setting goals practices (Beta=0.125, p<0.001) are slightly higher among those pre-service teachers more motivated to learn. Finally, results showed no significance relationship between students’ lack of self-directedness and any of the SRL dimensions analysed. The study has several implications for teaching practice. Results focus the attention on the importance of equip preservice teachers with the abilities to plan their learning process but also keeping them engaged and motivated for their own learning.

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