Exploring the Impact of Self-Regulation of Learning Support on Programming Performance and Code Development

Self-regulation of learning (SRL) is considered a vital skill in education, empowering students to control their learning process across multiple subjects. However, students often lack SRL abilities, which might impact their academic performance. One strategy to mitigate this problem is supporting students to assist their regulatory processes. Despite positive results in other subjects, how this support influences programming learning still needs further evidence. This study aims to contribute to this field by examining how the provision of SRL support influences students' programming performance and code development. The following research questions were established: RQ1) How does the programming performance of the group that received SRL support compare to that of the control group without support? RQ2) Do students receiving SRL support commit fewer programming errors than the control group without support? RQ3) Do students receiving SRL support maintain a more consistent learning routine than the control group without support? RQ4) What is the relationship between SRL abilities, programming performance, error commitment, and learning routine? To achieve this objective, a single-blind randomized experiment was conducted, and students were grouped into two experimental conditions, one receiving SRL support and a control group without support. Forty-nine students enrolled in an online introductory programming course participated in this study. The findings revealed that students who received SRL support achieved superior course grades, highlighting the benefit of this type of intervention. At the same time, the influence of SRL support and SRL abilities on programming error commitment is still unclear. Possibilities for future research to expand knowledge about the influence of SRL on code develonment are discussed.