The Relationship between Perceived Value of Concept Mapping and Self-Regulated Learning among University Students

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between undergraduate students' perceptions of the concept mapping strategy (CMS) and their self-regulated learning (SRL). A correlational survey design was used. The sample comprised 533 undergraduate students (177 male and 356 female) enrolled in the Education and Science departments of two public and two private universities in District Lahore, Pakistan, selected through multi-stage sampling. Perceptions of concept mapping were measured with a 30-item questionnaire developed by Mirza and Akram (2022), and self-regulated learning was measured with the 36-item Academic Self-Regulated Learning Questionnaire (ASLQ) developed by Nambiar et al. (2022). A pilot study with 240 students supported the reliability of both instruments (Cronbach's alpha = 0.767 and 0.907). Data were analyzed in SPSS version 21.0 using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, independent-samples t tests and one-way ANOVA. Students reported favorable perceptions of concept mapping (mean item score = 4.33 out of 5) and fairly high self-regulated learning (mean item score = 4.20). There was a moderate, positive and statistically significant relationship between CMS and SRL (r = 0.417, p < .001). No significant differences were found in either variable by gender, university sector, age group or CGPA, and all effect sizes were small. Because the design was correlational, the findings show association rather than cause and effect. Universities may consider teaching concept mapping together with guidance on goal setting and self-monitoring, and experimental studies are needed to test whether concept mapping training improves self-regulated learning.