TAILORING YOUR TEACHING: HOW TO MATCH LEARNING METHODS TO STUDENT SELF-REGULATION LEVELS

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the intricate relationship between learning methods, students' self-regulated learning (SRL) capacities, and the development of critical thinking. While previous research has often debated the effectiveness of online, blended, and face-to-face learning environments, this research argues that a student's internal SRL skills are a crucial moderating variable. Employing a qualitative case study design, this study purposefully selected nine second year English Education students from a cohort of 99 participants. These cases represented a balanced matrix of high, moderate, and low SRL levels across all three learning methods. Data, collected through semi-structured interviews, student artefacts, and observations, were analysed using thematic analysis to develop nine substantive conjectures. The central finding is that no single learning method is universally superior; its effectiveness is profoundly contingent on a student's SRL level. High-SRL students exhibited "Adaptive Independence" and "Trans-Modality Synergy," proactively using the unique features of each learning mode to enhance their critical thinking. Conversely, low-SRL students experienced "Cognitive Fragmentation" and "Cognitive Discontinuity," where their limited self-regulation acted as an internal barrier to critical thinking, regardless of the learning environment. Moderate-SRL students, meanwhile, thrived with "Scaffolded Critical Thinking" and "Integrated Critical Stimulation," benefiting from structured external support. The research concludes that an effective pedagogy for fostering critical thinking must be personalised and adaptive, with an explicit focus on cultivating SRL skills.