Comparison of students’ academic achievement in Scaffolding based self-regulated learning system and formal system of learning at higher education level

This study aimed at investigating the comparison of Scaffolding based self-regulated learning system and Formal learning system at higher education level. This research was experimental in nature; Equivalent comparison group design was adopted. BCS and MCS students studying the subject of Database in IT department at Kohat University of Science & Technology, Kohat and in Virtual University Campus, Kohat constituted the population of this study. Sample of the study comprised 50 BCS and MCS students i.e. 25 each from Kohat University of Science & Technology, Kohat and Virtual University campus, Kohat of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. To make the groups equivalent, a pre-test was developed and conducted for the participants of both universities. On the basis of results, three sub-groups of low, average and high achievers from both learning systems were formed. A post-test was conducted to compare the academic achievement of students of different groups of both learning systems. The collected data was entered in SPSS-16 and paired sample t-test was applied to analyse the data. Significant differences were found in academic achievement of the high, average and low achievers groups after taking post-test in both learning systems. A significant improvement in scores of scaffolding based self-regulated learning system among all groups than formal learning systems was found. It is recommended that Scaffolding based self-regulated learning system is more convenient, affordable and useful in obtaining learning academic achievement objectives as compare to formal learning system at university level. Therefore, Scaffolding based self-regulated system may be promoted. Group activities and discussion with peers through video-conferencing as it is done in Scaffolding based self-regulated learning may be introduced in formal learning system. It will broaden the horizon of knowledge as well as expression power of the students. Further researches can be conducted in different situation to see whether there exist actual difference in the results of two different learning systems and to draw more authenticity for the results of the present study.