ABSTRACT
The last three decades have witnessed an extensive investigation of learning processes in higher education. Four constructs seem to be at the core of this investigation: achievement goals, self-efficacy beliefs, self-regulation and learning strategies. The first two have provided some explanation of the processes that lead students to engage in learning tasks, whereas the last two have broadened our understanding of students' capacity to learn effectively and steer their own learning. According to the conceptual model of Phan (2009a, 2009b), each of these four specific constructs provides complementary information that allows for a global conceptualization of students' learning processes in higher education.
