Broadening Participation Research Project: Effect of Self-Regulated Learning Development on Student Success in STEM

North Carolina Central University (NCCU) proposes to examine the effect of self-regulated learning training and development on student success in STEM. The researchers propose to structure an intervention around units of a physics, chemistry, and calculus course and conduct a three-phase research project. Phase I will entail a pilot study to determine what learning strategies the STEM students currently use and a detailed analysis of the pilot data to identify gaps in effective self-regulated learning development. In Phase II, the researchers will develop and adapt a self-regulated learning training system for the students. Phase III will be an experimental study to investigate the effect of self-regulated learning training on student outcomes. Currently, little is known about the extent to which STEM students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) use self-regulated learning strategies or develop the skills and competencies to do so. The proposed project will contribute knowledge to gain a better understanding of that phenomenon in the context of HBCUs with broader implications for minority students in STEM generally.

The fundamental aim of the research is to determine if improving self-regulated learning results in improved academic achievement in STEM at NCCU. A quasi-experimental design will be used to answer three research questions: (1) What learning strategies are NCCU STEM students currently using? The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire will be used to collect student motivation and self-regulated learning strategy data at the course/subject-specific level. (2) What gaps in effective self-regulated learning development exist for NCCU STEM students? The Pintrich model of self-regulated learning will be used to analyze the data collected in response to the first question to answer the second research question. Researchers will use the results of a synthesis of relevant literature to determine the best methodology and instructional strategies for conducting the self-regulated training - inside or outside the regular classroom. (3) Does self-regulated learning training enhance NCCU students' effective use of self-regulated strategies and change academic performance outcomes? Researchers will conduct a pre-post comparison of trait-oriented measures of self-regulated learning strategies using a questionnaire. The treatment group will complete surveys about their learning behavior during the study by receiving messages on their smartphones from SurveySignal®. This research will produce data-driven information to create intervention models based on literature specific to the effects of self-regulation and motivation on student performance.