The Effects of the Use of a Self-monitoring Form on Achievement and Self-regulated Learning in a Developmental Mathematics Course

Abstract

For most undergraduate degrees, students are required to fulfill a baseline of mathematics requirements. However, some students are not prepared to begin in a college-level mathematics course and must begin coursework in a developmental mathematics course. Therefore, identifying ways to increase the student success rate in developmental mathematics courses is an important issue faced by many post-secondary institutions. The purpose of this study was to investigate student use of a self-monitoring instrument when working online in a university developmental mathematics course, Intermediate Algebra, which blended online learning and face-to-face instruction. Comparisons of achievement on exams, self-regulated learning levels, and course grade were made between students using a self-monitoring instrument while working online and those that did not use this instrument. There were 661 students included in this semester-long study. There were three phases in this study. In Phase 1, students in the experimental group received the most intense treatment. Students were asked to complete a self-monitoring record form after every online assignment for a total of four times. During Phase 2, the treatment was moderate as students were asked to complete the online record form after every other online assignment for an additional two occurrences. In Phase 3 the treatment was removed and students were not required to complete any online record forms. All participants were asked to complete a questionnaire in class four different times throughout the semester to measure levels of self-regulation when working online. This study used a nonequivalent-control-group experimental design with repeated measures. ANCOVA results indicated that the experimental group as a whole performed slightly but statistically significantly better than the control group on two of the three unit assessments- the Unit 3 Exam which was completed at the end of Phase 2 and the Unit 4 Exam which was completed at the end of Phase 3. ANOVA revealed that during Phase 2, the experimental group as a whole had a small yet statistically significant increase in their level of self-regulation compared to the control group yet in Phase 3 those differences did not remain statistically significant. Positive correlations were identified between students’ composite score on the fourth measurement of levels of self-regulated learning and their final course grade as well as subscale scores, Goal Setting, Environment Structuring, Help Seeking, and Self-evaluation, and students’ final course grade.