Media and Information Literacy and Academic Performance Among Grade 7 Learners: The Mediating Role of Self-Regulated Learning under the MATATAG Curriculum

Abstract

Background and Aim: In contemporary educational environments, Media and Information Literacy (MIL) and Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) are widely recognized as critical competencies for academic success. However, limited empirical evidence exists regarding how these constructs interact within highly structured curriculum reforms in developing educational contexts. This study investigated the levels of MIL, SRL, and academic performance among Grade 7 learners in the Philippines and examined whether SRL mediates the relationship between MIL and academic performance under the recently implemented MATATAG Curriculum. Materials and Methods: A quantitative descriptive-correlational research design was employed. Participants consisted of 104 Grade 7 students enrolled in selected public secondary schools in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental, Philippines. Data were collected using validated and reliable instruments measuring MIL and SRL, while academic performance was obtained from verified first-quarter general averages. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product-moment correlation, and mediation analysis using Hayes’ PROCESS Macro Model 4 with bootstrap estimation were utilized to analyze the data. Results: Findings revealed that students demonstrated a high level of Media and Information Literacy (M = 3.84, SD = 0.42) and a moderate level of Self-Regulated Learning (M = 3.12, SD = 0.51), while achieving outstanding academic performance (M = 90.20%, SD = 2.15%). Correlation analysis indicated a significant positive relationship between MIL and SRL (r = .38, p < .01), suggesting that learners with stronger digital and information competencies tend to exhibit better self-regulatory behaviors. However, neither MIL (β = 0.12, p > .05) nor SRL (β = 0.11, p > .05) significantly predicted academic performance. Furthermore, the indirect effect of MIL on academic performance through SRL was not statistically significant (β = 0.05, 95% CI [-.071, .182]), indicating the absence of a mediation effect. Conclusion: The findings suggest that outstanding academic performance among early secondary learners may be influenced more by external instructional support, structured learning environments, and institutional scaffolding than by autonomous self-regulatory processes. Within the MATATAG Curriculum context, academic success appears to be sustained through guided compliance rather than independent cognitive regulation. These results underscore the importance of intentionally integrating self-regulation training into digital literacy instruction to foster learner autonomy and support long-term educational development.