Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Achievement: Examining the Role of Goal Orientation Among Undergraduates in Imo State

This study examines the relationships among self-regulated learning, goal orientation, and academic achievement among undergraduate students at federal and state universities in Imo State, South East Nigeria. Self-regulated learning, encompassing metacognitive awareness, motivational regulation, and strategic resource use, is increasingly central to understanding differential academic outcomes in higher education, yet the moderating role of goal orientation in this relationship lacks Nigerian university-specific evidence. The study employs a cross-sectional survey design, recruiting 340 undergraduates from Imo State University and Federal University of Technology Owerri across five academic departments. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, the Achievement Goal Questionnaire, and cumulative grade point averages were used as instruments. Data were analysed using hierarchical multiple regression and moderated regression. Results indicate that self-regulated learning significantly predicts academic achievement, with mastery-approach goal orientation moderating this relationship positively. Students with performance-avoidance goals showed the weakest benefits from self-regulated learning strategies, suggesting that performance anxiety can undermine strategy effectiveness even when skills are present. Metacognitive self-monitoring was the self-regulation subscale most strongly associated with achievement. These findings contribute to the achievement motivation and self-regulation literature within the Nigerian higher education context. University academic development units in Imo State are advised to develop programmes that simultaneously build self-regulated learning skills and shift students from performance-avoidance to mastery-oriented academic goal frameworks. Keywords: self-regulated learning, goal orientation, academic achievement, undergraduates, Imo State.