DISCLAIMER: The following post was originally completed as part of my coursework for EDUC 520-Student Learning and Motivation, one of my grad classes. If you are not interested in education, this is going to be wicked boring. Please feel free to check out some of my other posts!
Self-regulated learning could be referred to as lifelong learning, as it pertains to people who seem to learn new information and acquire skills without being taught, sometimes seemingly without effort! Although it can most easily be seen in a person who is already out of school, self-regulatory skills can be developed and honed while still in the school setting. There are three phases in self-regulated learning: forethought, performance, and self-reflection (Biehler, McCown, & Snowman, 2009, 281).
Forethought includes setting goals, planning strategies, and self-motivation (Biehler, McCown, & Snowman, 2009, 282). Although most goals are set and strategies laid out for students by the teachers in school, there are many opportunities for gradual release of this control, especially in high school. A few examples might be allowing students to select their own topics and outline formats for a comparison-contrast essay, or laying out their own experiments for a science fair project. A great way to have students do this effectively is to model it for them and have them do similar tasks under close guidance and work in groups before having them do it themselves. And while most students are motivated by grades or other extrinsic motivation, some of the most powerful moments in any student/teacher relationship involve finding a topic that truly interests the student, regardless of grades or other external motivations. Encouraging this type of thinking encourages them to become self-regulated learners!
The performance phase involves self-control of attention, learning strategies, and task strategies and self-observation by keeping track of their own behavior and altering it if something is not working or just to find a more effective strategy (Biehler, McCown, & Snowman, 2009, 283). These skills can also be taught through modeling and gradual release of control. Teachers must be mindful to give appropriate reminders to students to self-assess and adjust as the students are performing a task. This phase of self-regulated learning also offers a prime opportunity to get parents involved, especially at younger ages. Parents can help the most by observing and giving the same self-evaluation reminders to their children, rather than just stepping in and completing the project for their children.
The self-reflection phase involves evaluating the outcome of the task or behavior and reacting with self-reinforcing thoughts like satisfaction or drawing motivation to do better on the next task (Biehler, McCown, & Snowman, 2009, 283). Teachers can capitalize on opportunities to help students with this mindset, especially in middle school and high school, by having students fill out their own evaluations before seeing the teacher’s feedback. Students and teachers can then compare the two together so the students can assess the validity of their self-evaluating skills.
If you are anything like me, you struggle with surrendering control, especially to a student. However, by giving them a bit of control over their own learning, we can give them the gift of becoming self-regulated learners for their entire lives!
Reference:
Biehler, R., McCown, R., & Snowman, J. (2009). Psychology applied to teaching. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin Co.
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