Self-Regulatory Learning Strategies for Senior Secondary Agriculture Students

Abstract

Self-regulation is essential to the learning process as it enhance student performance. However, there is very little research on the self-regulatory strategies employed by students. Therefore, this study sought to identify self-regulatory learning strategies used by senior secondary agriculture students. The study used a descriptive survey design, and targeted agriculture students in senior secondary schools in Eswatini. Consequently, there were ten schools sampled using cluster sampling; which produced 356 respondents. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics. Three experts from the Department of Agricultural Education and Extension at the University of Eswatini ensured the validity of the questionnaire. A pilot study using 30 students indicated that the instrument was 72% reliable. Findings revealed that the senior secondary agriculture students used all the self-regulatory learning strategies. The most commonly used strategies were self-evaluation, structuring the environment, keeping records and monitoring, and organizing and transforming. The study also revealed that teachers were equipping students with self-regulatory strategies. Therefore, the study concluded that the senior secondary agriculture students used self-regulatory learning strategies. Based on the findings, it was recommended that teacher training institutions should equip agriculture teachers with self-regulatory strategies which will enable them to assist the students.