The Effect of Self-Regulated Learning Approach on Students’ Mathematical Understanding

Abstract

Mathematics is an essential subject that develops students' logical and analytical thinking skills. However, many students still experience difficulties in understanding mathematical concepts because learning activities often emphasize memorizing procedures rather than developing conceptual understanding. As a result, students become less engaged and more dependent on teachers during the learning process. This study aimed to determine the effect of the Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) approach on students' mathematical concept understanding. The research employed a quasi-experimental method using a Pretest–Posttest Control Group Design. The study was conducted at SMP Negeri 1 Suwawa and involved 52 seventh-grade students divided into two classes: an experimental class (26 students) taught using the Self-Regulated Learning approach and a control class (26 students) taught using conventional learning. The research instruments consisted of teaching modules, student worksheets (LKPD), and essay tests designed to measure mathematical concept understanding. Data were collected through pretests and posttests and analyzed using descriptive statistics, normality tests, homogeneity tests, and an independent sample t-test. The results showed that the Self-Regulated Learning approach had a significant effect on students' mathematical concept understanding. The hypothesis test revealed that the calculated t-value (3.881) was greater than the critical t-value (1.675) at a significance level of 0.05. Furthermore, the experimental class achieved a higher mean posttest score (20.85) than the control class (18.39). In conclusion, the Self-Regulated Learning approach significantly improves students' mathematical concept understanding and is more effective than conventional learning in teaching integer number concepts to seventh-grade students.