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What improves self-regulation of students' learning processes?

Published in Self-Regulated Learning 2 mins read

Adopting mastery and relative ability goals, alongside cultivating positive self-efficacy and task value beliefs, enhances students' self-regulation of their learning processes. Conversely, focusing on extrinsic goals can hinder self-regulation.

Factors Influencing Self-Regulated Learning

Self-regulated learning (SRL) empowers students to take control of their learning journey. This involves planning, monitoring, and evaluating their progress. Several factors contribute to its effectiveness:

  • Goal Orientation:

    • Mastery Goals: Emphasize understanding and improving skills. Students with mastery goals focus on learning for its own sake, leading to deeper engagement and persistence. For instance, a student aiming to "understand the concept of photosynthesis" rather than just getting a good grade.
    • Relative Ability Goals: Focus on outperforming others. While they can be motivating, they also pose a risk by promoting a fear of failure.
    • Extrinsic Goals: Center on external rewards, like grades or praise. These can undermine intrinsic motivation and decrease self-regulation, as students may prioritize easy tasks that ensure a reward rather than challenging themselves.
  • Self-Efficacy: A student's belief in their ability to succeed in a specific task significantly impacts their willingness to engage and persist, even when facing difficulties. For example, a student with high self-efficacy in math is more likely to attempt challenging problems.

  • Task Value: This refers to a student's perception of the importance, interest, and usefulness of a learning task. When students value the task, they are more motivated to self-regulate their learning. An example would be a student who sees the relevance of history to current events finding the subject more engaging.

Strategies to Foster Self-Regulated Learning

To improve SRL in students, educators can implement the following strategies:

  • Promote Goal Setting: Encourage students to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.

  • Develop Self-Monitoring Skills: Teach students how to track their progress, identify areas of weakness, and adjust their strategies accordingly.

  • Foster a Growth Mindset: Emphasize that intelligence and abilities can be developed through effort and learning.

  • Provide Opportunities for Reflection: Encourage students to reflect on their learning experiences, identify what worked well, and make adjustments for future learning.

  • Create a Supportive Learning Environment: Foster a classroom culture that values effort, persistence, and learning from mistakes.

By understanding and implementing strategies that promote mastery goals, build self-efficacy, emphasize task value, and minimize the focus on extrinsic rewards, educators can help students become more effective and self-directed learners.