EXPLORING THE LEARNING STRATEGIES USED BY SECONDARY STUDENTS IN LEARNING SCHOOL BIOLOGY: THE CASE OF ZOMBA BOARDING SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

Self-regulated learning is an essential process of learning that is recognised as a predictor of a student’s academic achievement. This process requires students to independently use learning strategies that facilitate planning, organisation, monitoring and evaluation. The purpose of this study was to explore the learning strategies which secondary school students use in learning school biology and if there are any differences between boys and girls, students of different classes and between low and high performing students. The study was conducted in four boarding secondary schools of Zomba district. The study was guided by metacognition and self-regulation as theoretical perspectives. In addition, Plan, Organise, Monitor and evaluate (POME) model was used as a conceptual framework. The study collected both quantitative and qualitative data by administering questionnaires to 385 boarding students in four participant secondary schools, and by interviewing four students in each of the schools. The findings showed that students used learning strategies that facilitated planning, organisation, monitoring and evaluation. However, there is poor usage of some of the strategies as compared to the others. There were differences in the use of the learning strategies between girls and boys. Girls surpassed boys in using strategies that facilitate planning and monitoring while more boys than girls used strategies that facilitate organisation and evaluation. There were also differences regarding the frequency of using learning strategies between students of different classes. More form one than form three students used strategies that facilitate planning, organisation and monitoring while more form three than form one students used evaluation strategies. There were differences between high and low performing boys. More low performing boys used the strategies than high performing boys. The study discusses possible explanations for these findings.