RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology

Department of Architecture

CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

The context of learning today is synonymous to technology. This gave

birth to an entirely new generation of learners referred today as the digital

natives. Collins dictionary defines it as someone who has used the internet

and mobile phones since they were a child. Coined by Prensky in 2001 the

term digital natives refer to a new generation that has grown up with

technologies and for which the term ‘new’ almost seems senseless. Armed

with technology’s tools - electronics and digital gadgets-the learners tend to

be too dependent on what these gadgets can do for them: too keen on the

output of these tools and not on how a gadget was chosen to deliver a

specific output, or the experience of having to browse through a myriad of

information and knowing which is needed and which is not. Monitoring and

evaluating the effectiveness of the learners’ strategy in the task process and

trying to fix this lack is almost non-existent. It is therefore necessary to bring

this situation where teachers are involved in a strategic learning process.

Thus, the teachers’ role in the promotion of strategic learning habits in

the classroom could not be ignored. Teachers need to train students to be

strategic learners by making students aware of potential strategies, attribute

success to good strategies, and choose and monitor appropriate strategies,

meanwhile, providing students with instruction and intervention in managing

 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
Department of Architecture

and coordinating their plans and implementation which help them to gain

positive effects and outcomes in their performance. (Sun, 2013)

This has led the researcher to pursue a study on Self-Regulated

Learning (SRL) strategies of faculty members who administer the learning

of students. The researcher will focus on the faculty members of the Rizal

Technological University’s College of Engineering and Industrial

Technology (CEIT) who interact with Architecture and Engineering students

of various learning levels and subjects. Further to this, a technology-

mediated learning environment such as provided for Architecture and

Engineering courses in Computer-Aided Drafting and Design (CADD),

Design-related subjects with design laboratory and studio, and most of the

subjects that are backed up by technology, would likewise provide

opportunities for students to manifest varied and interesting habits.

The output of this study, a Self-Regulated Learning Habits Plan which

contains and reflects the results of the study, will benefit the Architecture

and Engineering professions, the design industry, educational institutions in

general, future researchers in both Engineering and Education disciplines,

and Department of Architecture and College of Engineering and Industrial

Technology (CEIT) in particular. The long-term benefits will be for the

University in maintaining its quality education and excellence in the field of

Architecture and Engineering and its allied fields of courses and disciplines.
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
Department of Architecture

Theoretical Framework

Amid the multitude definitions available for Self-Regulated Learning

(SRL), the researcher chose the summary cited by Zimmerman (2011) in his

discussion of SRL and the new published paper of the same topic. Owing

the other studies and according to Zimmerman, self-regulated learning refers

to how students become the masters of their own learning processes. It is

not a mental ability or a performance skill but rather is the self-directed

and objective process through which abilities are transformed into task-

related skills in diverse fields.

Self-regulated learning can be broken into three essential components

that teachers need to know about to help their pupils to develop into

successful learners (Education Endowment Foundation, 2018).

Cognition is the mental process involved in knowing, understanding,

and learning. Cognitive strategies include skills like memorization

techniques or subject-specific strategies like making different sketches with

a pencil or using different concepts to solve design problems. This is the

bread and butter of good teaching; cognitive strategies are fundamental to

acquiring knowledge and completing learning tasks.

Metacognition is about the way learners monitor and purposefully

direct their learning. This is also how a student controls his cognition or

awareness of the most effective strategy for an undertaking. This way, a

student may adopt or reject memorization techniques for different subjects

based on his monitoring if such techniques are indeed effective or not.

 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
Department of Architecture

Having decided that one particular technique works for him, he then

changes from his old technique into the new one.

Motivation is about the learner’s willingness to engage metacognitive

and cognitive skills and apply them to learning. Motivational strategies will

include convincing oneself to undertake a tricky revision task now—

affecting our current well-being—as a way of improving our future well-being

in the test tomorrow.

Figure 1. Phases and Sub-processes of Self-Regulated Learning.

Performance Phase is the ‘self-control’, while Forethought Phase

deals with Task Analysis and Self-Reflection Phase deals with Self Judgment.
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
Department of Architecture

The difference between self-regulated and non-self regulated learners

is seen in the Forethought Phase where a non-regulated learner does not

start with this phase. In the Performance Phase, the learner applies or

implements the plans and goals he formulated in the Forethought Phase. In

the Self-Reflection Phase, the learner goes through two aspects: cognitive

or self-judgment and affective or self-reaction where the learner evaluates

the success or failure of learning.

Figure 2. The Three Components of Self-Regulated Learning.

The figure shows Responsive Relationship, Structure of the

Environment and Self-Regulation Skills as the three components of SRL.

Cognition components involve the mental action like simple strategies,

problem-solving and critical thinking. This is the ‘thinking’ part of SRL where

plans are set or the awareness of such a plan to strategize, solve a problem

or analyze a situation. Metacognition is the knowledge of cognition and the

ability to control, direct, regulate or monitor learning. Motivation is

responsible for the reason for the learners’ actions; his willingness to learn

or to engage in activities of learning and to set goals. It also embodies the

 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
Department of Architecture

cognition part. The three components, Cognition, Metacognition and

Motivation have to be engaged proactively and systematically for Self-

Regulated Learning to happen.

Conceptual Framework

The researcher used the INPUT, PROCESS, OUTPUT in the IPO

Model for the study.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

OUTPUT

1. Demographic profile
of theINPUT
faculty Conduct of survey
members: age, through A Self-Regulated
gender, length of questionnaire. Learning Habits Plan
service and field of in a Technology-
specialization. Analysis and Mediated Learning
2. Extent of the use of interpretation of data. Environment
technology-mediated
learning and
motivational
strategies.

Figure 3. Research Paradigm.

The Input phase consists of the research questions, while the Process

phase includes the survey and interviews, and the Output phase is the

structure.

The research questions are the inputs, the administration of survey

and analysis and interpretation of data are the processes, as well as a Self-
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
Department of Architecture

Regulated Learning Habits Plan in a Technologically-Mediated Learning

Environment is the output.

Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this study is to investigate the self-regulated learning

and motivational strategies of the faculty members handling different year

levels and subjects of students in a technology-mediated learning

environment of Architecture and Engineering in the College of Engineering

and Industrial Technology at the Rizal Technological University, second

semester of school year 2018-2019.

Specifically, the researcher seeks answers to the following research

questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the faculty members based on

age, gender, length of service, and field of specialization?

2. To what extent do the faculty members use learning and

motivational strategies in the teaching of Architecture and Engineering

subjects in a technology-mediated learning environment?

3. What is the difference in learning and motivational teaching

strategies of faculty members according to age, gender, length of service

and field of specialization?

4. What Self-Regulated Learning Habits Plan in Technology-Mediated

Learning Environment may be proposed?

 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
Department of Architecture

Research Hypothesis

To serve as guide to the study, the researcher has formulated this

alternative hypothesis: there is a significant difference in the practice of

learning and motivational strategies of teachers according to age, gender,

civil status, qualification, length of service, designation and field of

specialization.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study was focused on the investigation of the demographic

profiles, extent of use of self-regulated learning, the differences in the

practice of self-regulated learning and motivational strategies of the 77

faculty members of the Architecture and Engineering Departments who are

teaching different year levels and subjects of students in the College of

Engineering and Industrial Technology (CEIT), and the proposal of a Self-

Regulated Learning Habits Plan. The demographic profiles included age,

gender, length of service and field of specialization.

Self-regulated learning strategies were referred to in this study as the

learning and motivational strategies which covered the three components of

SRL namely cognitive, metacognitive and motivational.

The SRL strategies used in the researcher-made questionnaire

covered the three components of self-regulated learning namely, cognitive,

meta-cognitive and motivation strategies (Pintrich, 1991), with a total of fifty-

six 60 questions. The questionnaire was a modified version of Pintrich’s

 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
Department of Architecture

1991 Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) which had

eighty-one (81) questions.

Significance of the Study

Although a multitude of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) studies have

already been conducted in various settings and protocols, only a few of

those studies deal with the self-regulated learning needs of the creative self-

efficacies of Architecture and Engineering students. Thus, the following

stakeholders will benefit from the study:

Faculty Members. The faculty members will benefit from the study by

learning how best to promote SRL as well as knowing how work well with

students on a different level with a common goal of improving student

performance. On the other hand, the Students will become better achievers

as they are also equipped in dealing with real-world design problems. The

awareness, appreciation and validation of self-efficacies while learning will

inherently be carried by the students into their work places.

The Profession. Through a collective contribution of students who

have gained self-regulated learning habits will produce a new mindset for

the profession. The natural creative self-efficacies that are known to

students while learning and which had been enhanced by the self-regulated

learning habits gained from the study will impact how Future Professionals

will conduct their business transactions in the industry and how they will

deal with professionals of varying disciplines. The Educators in general, will

benefit through the result and findings of the study in the preparation of
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
Department of Architecture

educational, instructional, learning and motivational interventions. Desirable

learning habits will be identified and enhanced by the results of the study

and will serve as a valuable template for a more effective curriculum

development.

The Curriculum Developers. The curriculum developers will benefit

from this study by having an idea on the weakness spots of students, where

they are strong, and what could be possibly bridged by the developed

learning habits of the students in the implementation of SRL. Eventually, the

successful integration of SRL into the curriculum will benefit everyone

involved. The Institution/University will benefit greatly from the findings of

the study as a long-term investment in a well-developed curriculum that can

attract more enrollees as well as added faculty net worth in terms of

professional development as required by the course and by the promotion

of SRL to the students. Lastly, the Future Researchers who would like to

embark on additional research on SRL will benefit from a broader scope of

the study.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined operationally:

Cognitive is a kind of learning that involves conscious intellectual

abilities like critical thinking, problem-soling and remembering.

Digital Natives commonly known as the generation who were born

two decades ago, who have the innate ability in surfing or browsing the

internet (Colins Dictionary, Prensky, 2001).

 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
Department of Architecture

Direct Teaching it is the implicit and explicit methods of teaching used

by the teachers in delivering the lesson.

Design Pedagogy is the theory and methods of teaching and learning

design characterized by a problem-based methodology that strongly

resembles the processes used by professional designers.

Explicit Teaching is teaching in a clear manner, not vague, where

instructions are clearly stated. This is usually used to deliver mathematics or

problem-solving-based learning.

Implicit Teaching is teaching in an implied manner, where the

instruction is not clearly stated but is focused on the application of lesson to

a problem or a situation.

Indirect Teaching is the creation or provision of a conducive learning

environment for self-regulated learning.

Learning Strategies are referred to as the ‘how to’ knowledge, a form

of procedural knowledge that facilitate learning and improve performance.

They are purposeful as they are consciously applied to achieve a desired

outcome. (Schumaker & Deshler, 1992)

Metacognition is the analysis of one’s own thinking process.

Operationally, metacognition is the teacher’s ability to analyze, regulate,

control and monitor one’s thinking and abilities.

Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) an

instrument in measuring self-regulated learning. It is a 7-point standardized

 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
Department of Architecture

survey / questionnaire outlining learning or motivational strategies that are

assessed by learners.

Motivational Strategies are referred to as ‘why’ knowledge, the

reason why one undertakes a task, enhances and puts value to a task.

Self-efficacy is a person’s belief that he/she can be successful when

carrying out a particular task.

Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) is one’s ability to control actions,

thoughts and feelings, applied to learning with the aim of achieving positive

outcomes.

Self-Regulated Learning in Design (SRLD) is self-regulated learning

applied to the solution of design problems.

Technology-Mediated Learning Environment is used as a learning

environment – a classroom, a laboratory, or a school that makes use of

technology, or is assisted by technology.