Introduction: According to educational planning experts, effective learning is the result of the interaction of several factors, including self-regulation strategies and motivational strategies, which play a decisive role in academic achievement. The present study aimed to determine the efficacy of using self-regulation strategies on lesson progress and motivation in master's students majoring in Psychology at the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences during the academic year 2019-2020.
Methods: In this experimental study, a pre-test and post-test were used with a control group. Thirty-four students were conveniently selected from the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences in Tehran City and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group attended 10 intervention sessions (once a week; 80 minutes per session) and received a self-regulation strategies program, while the control group only participated in mainstream classes. All students were evaluated using a researcher-made test for lesson progress and the Motivational Strategies for Learning Questionnaire before and after the intervention sessions. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data using SPSS version 22.
Results: The findings showed that the lesson progress and motivation of the experimental group improved after participating in the self-regulation strategies intervention sessions compared to the control group. Specifically, 85% and 74% of the variation in lesson progress and motivation of the experimental group, respectively, were attributed to receiving the self-regulation strategies program.
Conclusion: Considering the efficacy of self-regulation strategies on lesson progress and motivation, it can be concluded that the design and implementation of similar training programs may lead to academic achievement among master's student.
Extended Abstract
Introduction: In order to achieve valuable goals such as expanding science in human societies, improving students' capabilities, and coordinating between academic learning and life experiences, we need appropriate and efficient planning more than ever. One of the most important goals of higher education is to develop students' thinking capacity and their academic achievement. Effective training methods and programs that promote students' academic competency are of particular importance among the many factors that affect academic achievement. Educational planners consider effective learning as the result of the interaction between several factors, including self-regulation strategies, which play a critical role in academic achievement. Evidence-based research shows that self-regulated individuals are not only aware of learning strategies and able to use them efficiently, but also capable of maintaining or promoting their level of motivation for assignments, even in situations where they face complex and difficult tasks. Despite the multiplicity and variety of learning strategies, experts agree that strategies which enable students to act independently and rely less on training materials and professors are more effective and favorable. Considering the fact that postgraduate students prepare themselves for research in their fields of interest and passing the research method course is required, creating a suitable platform for the success of students in their jobs or higher studies is one of the prominent reasons for choosing the sample of students in this research. It is probable that students who can facilitate and speed up the process of self-regulation achieve more success. Since it seems that students face problems in using self-regulation strategies or even do not use them, the present study aims to answer whether the training of self-regulation strategies has an effect on the progress of the research method course and the motivation of students.
 
Materials and methods: In this quasi-experimental study, a total of 34 students studying psychology were selected conveniently from Tehran City for the academic year 2020-2021. All participants were between 22 to 28 years old and held a bachelor’s degree related to psychology. They were then assigned to the experimental and control groups, with 17 individuals in each group. The researcher-made test for the research method course and the Motivational Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) were used to measure course progress and the level of students' motivation, respectively. Researcher-made test: This consisted of multiple-choice questions prepared in two parallel forms, A and B, each containing 25 questions, based on lesson topics and experts’ opinions. Questions with a difficulty coefficient of less than 0.3 or more than 0.7 were excluded. Therefore, 25 questions with optimal difficulty (closer to 0.5) were designed for each form. The reliability of the parallel forms was confirmed. Motivational Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ): This questionnaire was developed by Pintrich et al. (1991) and includes two parts: motivational strategies (valuation, expectation, emotional) and learning strategies (cognitive / metacognitive, resource management). Responses were scored using a seven-point Likert scale from one to seven. Pintrich et al. (1991) reported Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.52 to 0.93 for MSLQ components. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a suitable factor structure, and the instrument demonstrated validity in predicting students' actual achievement. In the present study, reliability coefficients were calculated using Cronbach's alpha method and ranged from 0.50 to 0.85. After obtaining permission from the Research Deputy and the Ethics Committee, all participants provided written consent. Form A and the MSLQ were used to assess course progress and motivation, respectively. The experimental group participated in 10 sessions of self-regulation strategies training (once a week; 80 minutes per session), while the control group received standard training. At the end of the 10th session, form B of the researcher-made test and the MSLQ were administered again. The data were analyzed using multivariate covariance analysis (MANCOVA) with SPSS version 22 software. The content of the training sessions was prepared using the self-regulation strategies training program by Zimmerman and Martins-Pons (1990) and the proposed model by Ashaari et al. (2010), which had been administered to pre-college students in Ahvaz City.
 
Results and discussion: The mean age and standard deviation were 24.38 ± 2.13. The results of the chi-square test indicated no significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of age (P = 0.27). The mean and standard deviation related to course progress and motivation of the experimental and control groups are presented in Table 1. The normality of data distribution (Kolmogorov-Smirnov), the homogeneity of variances (Levene’s test), and the homogeneity of variance-covariance (M. Box test) were confirmed. The results of Pillai's trace, Wilks' lambda, Hotelling’s effect, and Roy’s largest root tests indicate no significant difference between the experimental and control groups in at least one of the variables (P < 0.001). In order to investigate the extent of the difference, MANCOVA was used (Table 2). The first finding showed that the intervention has improved course progress in students, and 85% of its variation is due to participation in intervention sessions. This is consistent with Cheng et al., 2022. We can explain that self-regulation strategy is a research-based and effective model for enhancing knowledge, skills, and self-confidence to use effective principles for learning and problem-solving. Students as self-regulated learners are able to effectively use cognitive and metacognitive strategies for academic progress, manage and control their educational activities, and make smart decisions to help themselves learn in an innovative way. The second finding indicated that training self-regulation strategies improves motivation in students, and 74% of its variation is due to attendance in intervention sessions. This is consistent with the results of Gu, 2021. When students use more self-organizing strategies, they feel higher internal motivation, are more satisfied with their abilities, and increase their course progress. In fact, the use of these strategies leads to improved motivational factors. In this way, students will increase their perception of their capabilities, and as a result, their motivation to learn will improve. The present study is limited to non-random sampling, simultaneous implementation of intervention with classroom hours, and lack of follow-up. We suggest studying the mediating role of gender, level of interest, and emotional intelligence.
 
Conclusion: The training of self-regulation strategies leads to increased knowledge, lesson progress, and motivation. Using self-regulation strategies is beneficial for organizing thoughts and focusing energy on academic progress. Postgraduate students are in a critical and sensitive period of their lives with thoughts preoccupations, job concerns, and numerous personal and social responsibilities, so focusing on self-regulation strategies is more valuable to empower the level of students' motivation to continue their academic progress.