Comparison of the Effectiveness of Participatory Learning Training and Academic Self-Regulation Training on Academic Self-Efficacy and Critical Thinking among High School Students in Ahvaz City: A Pilot Study

Academic life is one of the most critical periods of the students' life that affects one's effective and successful education and learning. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of participatory learning training and academic self-regulation training on academic self-efficacy and critical thinking among high school students in Ahvaz city.

This study was of quasi-experimental design with pretest, posttest, a control group and follow-up. Participants included 45 high school students in Ahwaz city in 2019-2020, selected by multi-stage cluster sampling method. Data were collected via the academic self-efficacy scale by Owen & Feraman and the standard questionnaire for critical thinking by Rajaei. Before the intervention, the pretest was performed for the three groups. After training the experimental groups, a posttest was performed, and after two months, a follow-up stage was performed to assess the stability of the training. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 24.

In the participatory learning training group, the mean (SD) self-efficacy score increased from 74.6 (6.6) in the pretest to 78.5 (5.5) in the posttest (P<0.001) and to 74.8 (6.5) during the follow-up period. In the educational self-regulation training group, the mean (SD) score of self-efficacy increased from 69.6 (3.5) in the pretest to 78.8 (3.4) in the posttest (P<0.001) and 78.4 in the follow-up. In the control group, the mean (SD) score of self-efficacy ranged from 72.2 (3.3) in the pretest to 72.8 (3.6) in the posttest and 72.8 (3.5) in follow-up, which was no different. In the participatory learning training group, the mean (SD) score of critical thinking increased from 69.9 (5.3) in the pretest to 0.79 (5.8) in the posttest (P<0.001). In the educational self-regulatory training group, the mean (SD) score of critical thinking increased from 0.69 (4.5) in the pretest to 0.77 (4.5) in the posttest (P<0.001). In the control group, the mean (SD) score of self-efficacy increased from 69.4 (5.2) in the pretest to 69.1 (0.4) in the posttest and 69.8 (4.9) in the follow-up, which was no statistically significant.

The study showed that participatory learning and self-regulation education effectively improved academic self-efficacy and critical thinking among high school students in Ahvaz. Moreover, the effectiveness of self-regulatory education on increasing academic self-efficacy was more than the effectiveness of participatory learning training, but there was no significant difference between the effectiveness of the two interventions in critical thinking.