Students’ readiness for E-learning and their satisfaction: The mediating role of self-regulation skills of students among universities in Ghana

E-learning offers distinct challenges and opportunities for students and educators alike. This study investigated the effect of students' e-learning readiness on their satisfaction, along with the mediation effect of self-regulation skills in that relationship, among postgraduate students at selected Ghanaian universities. Drawing on social presence theory, the research focused on three institutions offering distance education programmes: the University of Ghana, the University of Cape Coast, and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Data were gathered via questionnaires from 500 respondents. This study employed the disjoint two-stage approach within the reflective-reflective hierarchical component model. The findings revealed that e-learning readiness positively and significantly influences student satisfaction and self-regulation skills. Self-regulation skills, in turn, positively and significantly affect satisfaction. Moreover, self-regulation skills exert a statistically significant positive mediating effect between e-learning readiness and satisfaction. To leverage these findings, educational institutions should prioritise investments in building students' technological proficiency, such as through regular training on online platforms, digital tools, and internet navigation. Additionally, university management should integrate self-regulation strategies into their blended programmes, ensuring that instructors actively support students in mastering progress tracking, objective setting, time management, and effective study habits.