Developing self-regulated learning as a pedagogy in higher education: An institutional survey and case study in Hong Kong

Heliyon. 2023 Nov 10;9(11):e22115. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22115. eCollection 2023 Nov.

Abstract

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is critical to students' academic success and lifelong learning. Although the benefits of SRL have been examined in many studies, few have explored it in a broader educational context. This study presents an eight-month institutional case study that demonstrates how SRL has been developed as a pedagogy through the collective endeavours of teachers, researchers, and experts at a university in Hong Kong. A case study method protocol was followed. Data were obtained from multiple sources, including surveys of teachers (N = 93) and students (N = 215), interviews with teachers (n = 5) and students (n = 19), archived course documents, videos, and project reports. T-tests, coding, and document analysis were applied to analyse the collected data. The results showed that the teachers had good knowledge of SRL strategies but some students struggled to apply them effectively. Our study's findings have various implications for the effective promotion of SRL at the university level, and include the importance of developing a collective approach involving various members of the university, integrating responsive pedagogy, and adapting SRL strategies to students' individual needs. Future research can follow our methodology to replicate the study in different educational contexts.

Keywords: Higher education; Institutional survey; Protocol; Self-regulated learning; case study.