Retrospective mapping: a bumpy journey to capture self-regulated learning experiences in a CBL minor

In Challenge-Based Learning (CBL), students transition from traditional teacher-dependent roles to becoming self-regulated learners who take responsibility for their own learning processes (Gallagher & Savage, 2023). Self-regulated learning (SRL) is critical for thriving in CBL environments, which are inherently less structured and demand high levels of autonomy, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills (Zimmerman & Schunk, 2013). However, SRL development is rarely linear; it is a dynamic and iterative process involving both progression and setbacks as students navigate diverse challenges (Vermunt & Donche, 2017).
This research employed a reflective, mixed-method approach to explore students’ SRL development. Immediately after completing the program, students participated in 30-minute reflective interviews with the researcher. During the sessions, the concept of SRL (Zimmerman & Schunk, 2013) and a categorized framework of SRL levels in CBL (Doulougeri et al., 2023) were introduced to all participants. Students were guided to create visual journey maps by plotting their SRL levels (ranging from 1 = low to 5 = high) across different stages of the program. This exercise facilitated reflection on changes in their SRL over time. The interviews focused on students recalling and sharing their learning experiences, with an emphasis on key phases and events that influenced their SRL trajectories.
Quantitative analysis: Student drawings on SRL journey were scanned and resized using Python and the OpenCV library to ensure uniform image quality, size, and format for automated data extraction. By analysing each line's coordinates at each program stage, SRL ratings were derived. An "average SRL path" was calculated across six learning stages designed by the Minor, with students ranked by proximity to this average, with Student 1 being the closest (See Figure 1).
The qualitative analysis adopted a Trigger Regulation Framework (Järvelä & Hadwin, 2024) to explore the specific triggers that define the "ups and downs" in students’ SRL journeys. The framework provides a detailed coding scheme on trigger class, trigger event, and description across the SRL phases (See Table 1), and the narrative interview data are being coded by two researchers for achieving good reliability. The SRL journey of students shows a clear positive trend, beginning with an SRL mean (M) of 3.22 and a standard deviation (SD) of 0.10 in the Week 1, and progressing to a higher mean of 4.00 with a notably low SD of 0.06 by the Weeks 19-20. Aligned with the average SRL path, another main finding from our preliminary interview data analysis is the identification of three stages in students' SRL journey, including phases we’ve termed "initial struggle," "adapting to autonomy," and "self-regulation mastery."
This research enhances our understanding of SRL development within CBL contexts by shedding light on the dynamic and evolving nature of SRL, characterized by a three-phase journey that includes both progress and setbacks. By analysing the triggers and events across different SRL phases identified in this CBL program, educators can design more effective interventions to support students in areas such as managing autonomy, resolving team conflicts, and fostering targeted strategies for self-regulation.