Primary School Students’ Perceptions of Self-Regulation Skills and the Supporting and Hindering Factors for Self-Regulation

Abstract

Primary school is a significant period for the children to learn self-regulatory behaviours. This study aims to help enhance primary school fourth grade curricula to support students’ self-regulation skills. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to collect quantitative data from 1753 students and 86 teachers in 46 primary schools via descriptive and relational surveys, and causal-comparative methods, and qualitative data from 60 stakeholders of primary school curricula (students, family members and teachers) via semi-structured interviews. In conclusion there is no statistically significant relationship between students’ perceptions of their self-regulation skills and instructors’ perceptions of their level of encouraging self-regulation. Self-reflection and seeking help by the student, sustaining self-regulation strategies, serving as a model for children and adoption of a democratic attitude by families, self-regulatory behaviours of peers, cooperation between school and family, and inclusion of self-regulation as an aim in the curriculum are all supporting factors for self-regulation. A student’s expectation of direct instruction, family’s low socioeconomic and cultural levels, teacher’s lack of self-regulation education, spoon-feeding or over interfering the students by teachers, exam-oriented approach for education, and intensive curriculum material are all hindering factors.