Abstract
Universities face the challenge to ensure that quality teaching meets the needs of the students and satisfies their learning requirements (Beller & Ehud, 1998). Day (1999) suggests that teachers should instill the concept of lifelong learning into their students and the best way to do this is to have commitment to and enthusiasm for this concept themselves. To this end, it is important to understand students learning process and outcomes. In this article the constructivist self-regulating learning approach is recommended by the authors for higher education—especially for post-graduate students because it is a more realistic reflection of how work and research is done in the real world. On the other hand, the students’ learning style and problem solving process are important to their learning outcomes. This research aims to understand the relationships between constructivist self-regulating learning approach to problem solving and student learning outcomes. The overall objective of this research is to investigate the constructivist self-regulating learning approach in relation to student learning outcomes. In particular, we would like to address the following research question: What are the impacts of the constructivist self-regulating learning approach to learning outcome(s)? In this article, we use the interview method to examine the approach for advanced level ICT students in an Australian public university. The first section covers the literature and theories associated with the topic. The second section discusses the methodology for conducting the research. The third section describes findings and results. The article concludes with discussions, implications and recommendations.
TopIntroduction
Universities face the challenge to ensure that quality teaching meets the needs of the students and satisfies their learning requirements (Beller & Ehud, 1998). Day (1999) suggests that teachers should instill the concept of lifelong learning into their students and the best way to do this is to have commitment to and enthusiasm for this concept themselves.
To this end, it is important to understand students learning process and outcomes. In this article the constructivist self-regulating learning approach is recommended by the authors for higher education—especially for post-graduate students because it is a more realistic reflection of how work and research is done in the real world. On the other hand, the students’ learning style and problem solving process are important to their learning outcomes. This research aims to understand the relationships between constructivist self-regulating learning approach to problem solving and student learning outcomes.
The overall objective of this research is to investigate the constructivist self-regulating learning approach in relation to student learning outcomes. In particular, we would like to address the following research question:
What are the impacts of the constructivist self-regulating learning approach to learning outcome(s)?
In this article, we use the interview method to examine the approach for advanced level ICT students in an Australian public university. The first section covers the literature and theories associated with the topic. The second section discusses the methodology for conducting the research. The third section describes findings and results. The article concludes with discussions, implications and recommendations.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Social Cognitive: Self-observation and enactive experiences, through social learning: emphasising self-efficacy in learning.
Volitional: Controlled actions to regulate emotions and environmental conditions.
Constructivist Self-Regulating Learning: The process whereby new meanings are created by the learner within the context of her or his current knowledge.
Constructivist Learning: Constructivist learning has some basis in cognitive learning and is the result of the mental construction of a situation. Constructivism, in its most basic form, is piecing together new information using information already known to the student.
Operant: Stressing self instruction, modeling and shaping of behavior; emphasizing provision of relevant stimuli for learning.
Phenomenological: Self-worth, subjective experiences, and development of a self-system emphasising personal identity.
Vygotskian: Inner speech, dialogue, and mediation acquired through a hierarchy of developmental levels.
Constructivist: Stressing personal theories, discovery learning, and development of self-regulatory processes based on conceptual change.