An Investigation of Self-Regulation to Enhance First-Year Students’ Autonomous Learning Ability at Yunnan Normal University

Abstract

This study focused on first-year students at Yunnan Normal University. The research objectives were threefold: (1) to investigate the role of self-regulatory methods in enhancing students' autonomous learning ability, (2) to study the differences between the control group and the experimental group, and (3) to determine if students are satisfied with self-regulatory methods. The research group was drawn from the 9,000 first-year students in the 2023 academic year. There were 48 classrooms, each consisting of 180-187 students. Students from two randomly selected classrooms were studied. The study employed stratified random quantitative analysis. Statistical analysis used mean average value (X̄), standard deviation (S.D.), and variance to interpret the data. The main research tools were questionnaires, lesson plans, and a satisfaction questionnaire. The results showed: (1) The overall mean score was 4.11 with a standard deviation of 0.4, indicating a generally high recognition of autonomous study strategies among the students in the experimental group, reaching the "agree" level; (2) for the experimental group X̄ was 94.57, while the control group had an X̄ of 75.15. The experimental group exhibited less variability in scores, with an S.D. of 2.82 compared to 9.49 for the control group, indicating more consistent and concentrated performance among the experimental group of students. The variance for the experimental group was 7.98, whereas the control group was 90.13, demonstrating the stability and reliability of the experimental group's performance. (3) By comparing the experimental and control groups' results, it is evident that self-regulatory methods significantly enhance students' satisfaction with their autonomous learning experiences. The experimental group had higher satisfaction levels, with an X̄ of 4.71, very satisfied, and an S.D. of 0.23, compared to the control group, which had an X̄ of 2.72, dissatisfied, and an S.D. of 0.71. This study's results indicate that self-regulatory methods significantly enhance students' autonomous learning ability, with noticeable differences between the experimental and control groups. Future research could further explore the application of self-regulatory methods across different educational stages and subjects