Navigating Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness in Blended Higher Education: A Qualitative Study of Digital Study Practices

Blended learning has become a structural feature of contemporary higher education, yet little is known about how students experience the digital study practices that shape their everyday learning rhythms. This qualitative study explores how students navigate autonomy, competence, and relatedness within digitally mediated blended environments. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 students enrolled in blended programs at a Belgian university. Using reflexive thematic analysis, four themes were identified: fostering flexibility without losing orientation, cultivating belonging in blended spaces, providing scaffolds to build competence and motivation, and navigating digital strain. Students valued the autonomy afforded by flexible study rhythms, yet this autonomy was fragile when digital structures were unclear or inconsistent. Belonging depended on visible instructor presence and intentional opportunities for interaction, while competence was shaped by clarity, coherence, and timely feedback across platforms. Digital strain accumulated through extended screen time, technical frictions, and blurred boundaries between study and personal life. These findings offer a situated understanding of how students experience technology-mediated learning as both enabling and demanding. The study highlights the importance of predictable digital routines, relational presence, and coherent design in supporting sustainable engagement in blended higher education.