Self-Regulated Learning as a Correlate of Mathematics Achievement among Secondary School Students in Meru South Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between self-regulated learning and mathematics achievement among Form Three students in Meru South Sub-County, Kenya, a region characterized by persistent underperformance in the subject. Grounded in Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory, the study sought to determine the extent to which students' strategic learning behaviors are associated with their academic outcomes. A correlational research design was employed, involving a sample of 276 Form Three students selected from public secondary schools. Data on self-regulated learning were collected using the Academic Self-Regulated Learning Questionnaire (ASRLQ), while mathematics achievement was measured using standardized examination scores. Data were analyzed using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. The results revealed a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship between self-regulated learning and mathematics achievement (ρ = .766, p < .001). This finding indicates that students who more frequently employ self-regulatory strategies such as goal setting, self-evaluation, and environmental structuring tend to achieve higher scores in mathematics. The study concludes that self-regulated learning is a critical component of academic success in mathematics and recommends the explicit integration of self-regulated learning strategy instruction into secondary school mathematics pedagogy to better equip students for academic success.