Can Autonomy Be a Group Affair? Investigating the Relationship Between Self-Regulated Learning and Confucian Cultural Values

Abstract

Contention concerning whether or not Confucian values promote creative and independent learning reveals an ongoing debate, which is fueled by a gap in our understanding of how cultural values impact autonomous learning. To address the need for further research, surveys for evaluating Confucian beliefs and self-regulated learning strategies were given to 281 university students from a rural province in mainland China. Following data collection, cultural values were evaluated along with autonomous and controlled learning preferences using multiple linear regression. Statistical analysis revealed that support for traditional Confucian values was a significant predictor of both autonomous and controlled forms of regulation. The finding appears to suggest that collective values shape notions of educational autonomy. Learners with Confucian values may conceptualize autonomy as a group process of goal setting, learning, and evaluation, rather than a purely individual endeavor. To accommodate collectivist views of self-regulation, a hybrid form of classroom management may be needed, whereby egalitarian peer groups are given more autonomous tasks, while a teacher maintains some degree of autocratic control. By using educational techniques that mirror local cultural norms, pedagogical strategies for cultivating learner autonomy may become even more effective.