Self-directed learning ability and online student engagement among nursing students: the mediating role of information literacy and the moderating role of self-control

BackgroundOnline learning has become an important teaching approach in nursing education, and insufficient online student engagement among nursing students has become a key issue affecting teaching effectiveness. However, the underlying mechanisms related to individual learning characteristics of nursing students have not been fully explored.PurposeThis study aims to examine the relationship between self-directed learning ability and online student engagement among nursing students, focusing on the mediating role of information literacy and the moderating role of self-control.Patients and methodsThis study recruited 917 undergraduate nursing students from five provinces in China (83% female). Participants completed the self-directed learning ability scale (SDLRS), the information literacy scale (ILS), the brief self-control scale (BSCS), and the online student engagement (OSE) scale, all of which are validated self-report instruments. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and the PROCESS macro.ResultsSelf-directed learning ability had a significant positive direct effect on online student engagement (β = 0.511, t = 17.586, p < 0.001). Information literacy mediated the relationship between self-directed learning ability and online student engagement, with an indirect effect of 0.346, accounting for 67.7% of the total effect. Self-control negatively moderated the direct effect of self-directed learning ability on online student engagement (β = −0.310, t = −2.140, p < 0.01).ConclusionThe results support a moderated mediation model. Self-directed learning ability promotes online student engagement by improving information literacy, and self-control negatively moderates the relationship between self-directed learning ability and online student engagement, such that this effect is stronger at lower levels of self-control. These findings student engagement theory and conservation of resources theory, explain how individual abilities influence learning engagement through cognitive resources in digital learning contexts, and provide empirical support for educational interventions targeting information literacy and self-control.