Creating classroom contexts that support young children's development of self-regulated learning

The purpose of the research reported in this chapter is twofold: first, to identify features of classroom environments that promote self-regulated approaches to reading and writing in young children; and second, to work collaboratively with teachers, helping them become proficient at designing tasks and structuring interactions with students that promote self-regulated learning (SRL). Five primary (kindergarten — grade 3) teachers and their students were involved in the study. Evidence from classroom observations indicates that these five teachers consistently involved their students in complex reading and writing activities, choosing what to read and write about, modifying tasks to control challenge, and evaluating their reading and writing processes and products. Also, these teachers provided support that was instrumental to students’ development of SRL, and employed non-threatening evaluation practices. Consistent with previous research that characterizes self-regulated learners, students in these classrooms demonstrated high levels of metacognition, intrinsic motivation, and strategic action.     

An investigation of the stability and variability in young children's self-regulated learning behaviors in kindergarten

The authors examined the relative stability and variability of self-regulated learning (SRL) in kindergartners across various contexts (teacher-directed activities, small-group work, and independent work). They assessed the role of temperament and context on children's use of SRL while seeking to identify if there are optimal contexts for promoting SRL in particular children. The results revealed that although temperament was not related to SRL, children's regulation strategy usage was heavily dependent on context, contradicting the idea that children are either high or low self-regulators. The relative stability of SRL varied by child, with some children showing more sensitivity to context than did others. Optimal contexts for eliciting SRL also differed by children, with some children exhibiting elevated regulation during small-group activities and others during teacher-directed activities.     

Enhancing self-regulated learning by writing learning protocols

Learning protocols are a self-guided way of writing that allows for elaboration and reflection on learning content. In an experimental study (N = 103), we supported protocol writing with prompts to elicit important strategies as postulated by a cyclical model of self-regulated learning. Students received either (a) no prompts, (b) cognitive prompts, (c) metacognitive prompts, (d) mixed prompts without, or (e) including prompts for planning of remedial strategies. Prompting all essential sub-processes of self-regulated learning (group e) fostered students' comprehension best. Thus, with appropriate support, writing can serve as a beneficial medium helping students to self-regulate their understanding of subject matter.     

The development of self-regulated learning

The purpose of this study is to examine the tendency for the development of self-regulated learning according to grade level. As a means to this end, competing causal models for each grade were set up, and through validity tests for the causal models the most fitting self-regulated learning model for South Korea students could be arrived at. Based on the conceptual model of self-regulated learning proposed by Pintrich (1989), Pintrich and De Groot (1990), and Zimmerman (1989, 1990), which focus on the relationship between motivation and cognition, three causal models were set up. According to the results of a structural analysis for 1,865 elementary, middle and high school students, model П which structures intrinsic value as an exogenous variable, was determined the best-fitting model. In addition, the 30% variance in the 5th grade elementary school students and 32% and 18% variance in middle school and high school students respectively are explained by the test model.     

Inherent details in self-regulated learning

Self-regulated learning (SRL) has become a pivotal construct in contemporary accounts of effective academic learning. I examine several areas of theory and empirical research, which are not prominently cited in educational psychology's research into SRL, that reveal new details of what SRL is and how students develop productive SRL. I interpret findings from these investigations to suggest that nondeliberative, knowledge-based elements are inherent in the processes of SRL, and in learning more generally. Several topics for future research are sketched based on an assumption that learning effectively by oneself will remain a goal of education and can be an especially revealing context in which to research SRL.     

Coping with school failure and self-regulated learning

The aim of the study was to explore whether students can be classified in groups according to their coping strategies in dealing with school failure and to assess relationships between coping strategies and various components of self regulated learning. The sample consisted of 470 high school students (15 to 18 years old). The students responded to two self-report questionnaires: The School Failure Coping Scale and The Components of Self-Regulated Learning.     

Epistemological beliefs and self-regulated learning with hypertext

This study investigated the relationship between epistemological beliefs, prior domain knowledge and self-regulated learning. Biology students (n?=?25) and humanities students (n?=?26) who varied in their epistemological beliefs learned with a hierarchical hypertext about the topic of genetic fingerprinting. During their learning processes, logfiles and questionnaire data were collected. Results indicate that students do metacognitively calibrate their learning process to the complexity of the presented learning material, e.g. by processing more complex deeper-level nodes longer. Furthermore, these calibration processes were significantly related to epistemological beliefs. For example, more ‘sophisticated’ epistemological beliefs were associated with processing more nodes, whereas more ‘naïve’ beliefs were related to spending more time on single nodes. Both effects were especially pronounced on deeper hierarchical hypertext levels. Prior domain knowledge also had an impact, especially on comprehensibility ratings: biology students considered all nodes more comprehensible than humanities students. Additionally, epistemological beliefs as well as prior domain knowledge were also significantly associated with the learning outcome: for example, more prior domain knowledge led to significantly higher learning outcome.     

基于网络的化学自主学习研究

文章在调查研究和实验干预的基础上 ,通过对计算机网络支撑条件下学生化学自主学习能力的个案研究 ,认为网络有助于学生的化学自主学习能力的培养和学业成绩的提高。     

Supporting self-regulated hypermedia learning through prompts

The aim of this research was to develop and evaluate tools and supports for self-regulated learning with hypertext information structures, such as Web pages. Two kinds of supports for self-regulated learning were developed and tested experimentally: Prompting and Prompting with Training. In Experiment 1, Prompting was tested with a pre-post-test between subject design, including thinking-aloud data. Students of the experimental group (n = 20) were prompted for self-regulation activities that had to be followed while learning basic learning theory. No self-regulation support was offered in the control group (n = 20). In Experiment 2 (Prompting with Training), the experimental group (n = 20) received a short training, in addition to the prompting: the self-regulated learning activities were explained in detail, demonstrated and practiced right before the learning session. Again, no self-regulation support was offered in the control group (n = 20). Analyses of learning processes and learning outcomes confirm partly the positive effects of both measures of self-regulated learning prompts. The more extended measure (with training) had superior effects on students’ learning transfer performance and acceptance. Implications for the design of instructional support to improve self-regulated learning with computer-based learning environments are discussed.     

Epistemological beliefs and epistemic strategies in self-regulated learning

How do epistemological attitudes and beliefs influence learning from text? We conceptualize epistemological attitudes and beliefs as components of metacognitive knowledge. As such, they serve an important function in regulating the use of epistemic strategies such as knowledge-based validation of information and checking arguments for internal consistency. We report results from two studies that investigated the effects epistemological attitudes and beliefs on the use of epistemic strategies in academic learning and the motivational states that mediate these effects. Study 1 (N = 289) tested a mediation model with epistemological attitudes (separate vs. connected knowing) and textual characteristics as distal predictors, and learning goals (learning factual knowledge vs. developing an own standpoint) as mediator variables. Separate knowing had large indirect effects on the use of epistemic strategies via the goal to develop an own point of view. In addition, learners adapted their learning goals and epistemic strategies depending on objective characteristics and the perceived familiarity of the texts they read. In Study 2 (N = 124), epistemological beliefs concerning the uncertainty of knowledge increased the use of epistemic strategies only when extrinsic study motivation was low. A mediated moderation model established this effect to be mediated by specific epistemic curiosity. These results illuminate the mechanisms of how epistemological attitudes and beliefs affect self-regulated learning. In contrast to other types of learning strategies, the use of epistemic strategies seems to be strongly and consistently linked to epistemological attitudes and beliefs.     

Examining trace data to explore self-regulated learning

This exploratory case study examined in depth the studying activities of eight students across two studying episodes, and compared traces of actual studying activities to self-reports of self-regulated learning. Students participated in a 2-hour activity using our gStudy software to complete a course assignment. We used log file data to construct profiles of self-regulated learning activity in four ways: (a) frequency of studying events, (b) patterns of studying activity, (c) timing and sequencing of events, and (d) content analyses of students’ notes and summaries. Findings indicate that students’ self-reports may not calibrate to actual studying activity. Analyses of log file traces of studying activities provide important information for defining strategies and sequences of fine-grained studying actions. We contrast these analytic methods and illustrate how trace-based profiles of students’ self-regulated studying inform models of metacognitive monitoring, evaluation, and self-regulated adaptation.     

Exploring autonomous learning capacity from a self-regulated learning perspective using learning analytics

Practising self-regulated learning (SRL) has been proposed to develop learning autonomy. However, there is lack of empirical evidence on how SRL strategies affect autonomous learning capacity. This study attempts to bridge that gap by utilizing the learners’ trace data for measuring the learners’ autonomous interactions, and investigates the effects of four SRL strategies on learners’ autonomous choices. The goal is to explain how the employed SRL strategies impact autonomous control (in terms of frequencies of self-enforced decisions, as well as time-spent on decision making). The results from an exploratory study with undergraduate learners (N = 113) shown that goal-setting and time-management have strong positive effects on autonomous control, effort-regulation moderately positively affects learners’ autonomy, while help-seeking has a strong negative effect. These findings provide empirical evidence and contribute to clarifying the role of each one of the SRL strategies in the development of autonomous learning capacity, from a learning analytics perspective. Limitations and potential implications for research and practice are also discussed.     

Extending the testing effect to self-regulated learning

In addition to serving summative assessment purposes, testing has turned out to be a powerful learning tool. However, while the beneficial effect of testing on learning performances has been confirmed in a large body of literature, the question of exactly how testing influences cognitive and metacognitive processes remains unclear. We therefore set out to investigate the effect of testing on self-regulated learning (SRL) processes. We hypothesized that by recalibrating metacognitive monitoring, regular practice testing can trigger efficient SRL processes and, in turn, foster learning. To test this hypothesis, we exposed first-year undergraduates to a complex neurology module. Participants were randomly assigned to either the practice testing group or a control group. The testing group underwent multiple practice tests during the neurology module, whereas the control group only underwent the multiple practice tests after the course. To assess the impact of practice testing on SRL processes, we combined a think aloud protocol with a metacognitive monitoring self-report measure. Results showed that, compared with controls, participants in the practice testing group were significantly less overconfident in their ability to recall recently learned information and performed better on a posttest questionnaire. Furthermore, mediation analyses confirmed that enhanced learning performance was explained by the use of efficient SRL processes. Therefore, these results allow us to extend the testing effect to SRL, and empirically underscore the central role of monitoring in SRL. Contributions to the fields of practice testing and SRL are discussed.     

Instructional practices and self-regulated learning in Chinese language classes

This study investigated the relation between teachers’ instructional practices and students’ self-regulated learning (SRL) in Hong Kong Chinese language classes using quantitative and qualitative methods. Participants were 1121 Grade 10 students from six secondary schools in Hong Kong. A Chinese reading comprehension (RC) test was used to assess the students’ reading performance and a self-reported questionnaire measured their perception of reading instruction, strategy use and reading motivation. Classroom observations and in-depth interviews were conducted in one class at each school to explore what and how instructional practices supported or impeded SRL in real contexts. The findings of this study generally support the positive relation between SRL-based instruction and Chinese students’ SRL. Among the four instructional variables, instrumental support from teachers showed the strongest relation with students’ strategy use, motivation and RC. The degree of autonomy was low in Chinese language classes and was associated with students’ negative reading behaviours.     

语文自主学习策略和实践指导

从自主的角度考虑,学习策略应用的关键在于调控技能。如何让学生具备对学习过程及自我意识的调控,拟以《花的话》的学习为例,探讨提高学生自主阅读理解能力的策略和实践指导的方法。     

The metacognitive control components of self-regulated learning

The paper describes the role of metacognitive control activity in self-regulated learning. Metacognitive components are seen as necessary but insufficient for self-regulated learning, and given special status in maintaining system efficiency. Students who can protect their intentions to learn in school from competing goals or interests, as well as distracting stimuli, are likely to accomplish school tasks adequately even if their grades fall short of perfect. Task accomplishment is important to continued motivation for schoolwork, and is also a gauge by which teachers evaluate students. A theory of the psychological processes that define volition provides a useful framework for interpreting data from various classroom investigations. Directions for future experimental research are discussed.     

Profiles in self-regulated learning and their correlates for online and blended learning students

This study examines a person-centered approach to self-regulated learning among 606 University students (140 online, and 466 in blended learning mode). Latent profile analysis revealed five distinct profiles of self-regulated learning: minimal regulators, restrained regulators, calm self-reliant capable regulators, anxious capable collaborators, and super regulators. These profiles showed that: (1) differences in academic success are associated with a learner’s capacity for motivational regulation and self-regulated learning strategy implementation, (2) online learners are more likely to belong to profiles that are more adaptive, and less reliant on collaborations with others, (3) for learners at the lower end of the self-regulation spectrum, an increase in both motivational regulation and adoption of self-regulated learning strategies may be academically beneficial, and (4) high motivational regulation and strategy adoption can be all for naught, if the student is also highly anxious with worry and concern regarding performance.