Self Regulation

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Revision as of 19:58, 9 December 2007

The concept of academic self-regulation and its relationship to learning has been widely explore (Ruban, McCoach, McGuire, & Reis, 2003). According to Zimmerman, (1989) self-regulation refers to “the degree that individuals are metacognitively, motivationally, and behaviorally active participants in their own learning process” (p. 329). Zimmerman (1989) identifies the hallmarks of academic self-regulation to include academic time management, practice, mastery of learning methods, goal-directedness, and a sense of self-efficacy.

Self-regulation refers to the use of processes that activate and sustain thoughts, behaviors, and affects in order to attain goals (Schunk & Zimmerman, 1997). In other words, it refers to taking charge of our own learning by coordinating the thinking skills described in this chapter. Self-regulation has three components:

• Self-observation. Deliberate attention to specific aspects of one's own behaviors.
• Self-judgment. Comparing one's current progress toward a goal with a standard.
• Self-reaction. Making evaluative responses to judgments of one's own performance.

Zimmerman (1994) conceptualizes self-regulation as comprising four dimensions or areas in which students can self-regulate their activities:

• (a) motives for learning or performing
• (b) methods used
• (c) performance outcomes or target behaviors, and
• (d) environmental resources used.

To be self-regulated it is not necessary that one exert control over all dimensions; such complete control would be rare in educational settings. Rather, these are four areas in which self-regulation is possible.

Conceptual Analysis of the Dimensions of Academic Self-Regulation

Scientific	Psychological	  Task		   Self-Regulatory	Self-Regulatory
Questions	Dimensions       Conditions	     Attributes		Processes

Why?	        Motive	         Choose to	    Intrinsically or	Self-goals,
		                 participate	    self-motivated      self-efficacy,
                                                                        values,attributions, etc.

How?	        Method	         Choose method	    Planned or	        Strategy use,
		                                    automatized		relaxation, etc.

What?	        Performance	 Choose	            Self-aware of	Self-monitoring,
		outcomes         performance        performance         self-judgment, action control,
                                 outcomes           outcomes            volition, etc.
		
Where?	        Environmental	Control social	    Envirorunentally	Envirorunental structuring,
		(social)	and physical        socially            help seeking, etc.
                                setting		    sensitive and 
                                                    resourceful

The question of what deals with students' efforts to self-regulate their academic performance outcomes. The third column in this table specifies the task conditions necessary for a student to self-regulate the particular psychological dimension in question. The question of where or with whom addresses students' efforts to self-regulate their physical and social environment in order to learn. Constructivist explanations ( Paris & Byrnes, 1989) have focused on students constructing supportive environments using their own personal theory of academic tasks, whereas social cognitive theorists have emphasized seeking social models and assistance ( Schunk, 1989; Zimmer­man, 1989).

There is evidence that a major cause of underachievement is the inability of students to self-control themselves effectively ( Krouse & Krouse, 1981). Borkowski and Thorpe (in Schulz and Zimmerman, 1994) review this body of research indicating that underachievers are more impulsive, have lower academic goals, and are less accurate in assessing their abilities; furthermore, they are more self-critical and less self-effica­cious about their performance and tend to give up more easily than achievers.

In summary, academic self-regulation includes skills such as the following (McCombs, 1989; Schunk, 1994; Zimmerman, 1994):

• Valuing learning and its anticipated outcomes
• Setting performance goals
• Planning and managing time
• Holding positive beliefs about one's abilities
• Attending to and concentrating on instruction
• Effectively organizing, rehearsing, and encoding information
• Setting up a productive work environment
• Using social resources effectively
• Focusing on positive effects
• Making useful attributions for success and failure

According to Zimmerman self-judgment is essential. He states (1989) that "self-judgment refers to students' responses that involve systematically comparing their performance with a standard or goal" (p. 333).

Recently, researchers have begun to look at issues of self-regulation and its relationship with success in online learning environments (Zerr, 2007; Whipp & Chiarelli, 2004). Yet studies in this area remain few and far between (Whipp & Chiarelli 2004), and a call for more research has been issued (Hodges, 2005). It is in response to that call that this study was undertaken.

Creating Interactive Sociocultural Environments for Self-Regulated Learning

Ronald W. Henderson & Linda Cunningham University of California, Santa Cruz

   What a child can do in cooperation today he can do alone tomorrow. Therefore
   the only good kind of instruction is that which marches ahead of development
   and leads it.  -- Vygotsky ( 1962, p. 104)

Self-Regulated Learning & Metacognition

Flavell (1976) first invented the term metacognition. He defined metacognition as one's knowledge regarding one's own cognition as well as control and monitor one's own cognition. The terms self-regulated learning and metacognition are interchangeable in the current discussion.

A self-regulated leaner is aware when she knows a fact or has a skill and when she does not. She views acquisition as a systematic and controllable process, and she accepts greater responsibility for her achievement. In other words, She is the initiator of the learning process. Self-regulated learning has played a part in behavioral theory, cognitive theory, social cognitive theory, and constructivism theory. In behavioral theory, regulation is through external reinforcement. In cognition theory, self-regulation is equivalent to metacognition, knowing about and regulating cognition. Social cognition theory views self-regulation as combining self-observation, self-judgment, and self-reaction. Constructivism theory perceives individuals as active agents who construct and reconstruct their knowledge (Davidson, K., 1995) .

Self-regulation plays a crucial role in all phases of learning and cross-domains. Schoenfeld (1987) states that self-regulation has the potential to increase the meaningfulness of students' classroom learning, and the creation of a "mathematics culture "in the classroom best fosters metacognition. Schoenfeld (1983) showed that many problem-solving errors are due to metacognitive failure rather than lack of basic mathematics knowledge. He further insists that all metacognitive strategies are illustrated in action, should be developed by students, not declared by the teachers. Study metacognitive strategies are important as well, in reading to learn and can be applied to enhance text processing ( Grow, 1996a). To teach students to become active, motivated, self-regulated learners is a continuing issue in education. Authentic and meaningful classroom activities that are relevant to real-life situations are likely to engender students' cognitive activity and conceptual change (transfer). Scaffolding, dual instructions (verbal persuasion and modeling), and teaching appropriate cognitive strategies are believed to have positive impact on increasing students' efficacy.

References

• Ruban, L., McCoach, B., McGuire, J., & Reis, S., (2003) The differential impact of academic self-regulatory methods on academic achievement among university students with and without learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 36(3), 268-284.
• Whipp J. & Chiarelli S. (2004) Self-regulation in a web-based course: a case study. Educational Technology Research and Development, 52(4) 5-23.
• Zerr, R., (2007) A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of the Effectiveness of Online Homework in First-Semester Calculus. The Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 26(1), 55-74.
• Zimmerman, B. J. (1989). A social cognitive view of self-regulated academic learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 329–339.
• Zimmerman B. J., & Schunk D. H. (Eds.). ( 1989). Self-regulated learning and academic achievement: Theory, research, and practice. New York: Springer-Verlag
• Zimmerman, B. J. (1994) Dimensions of Academic Self-Regulation: A Conceptual Framework for Education. In D. H. Schunk, D. H. & B. J. Zimmerman (Eds.) Self-regulation of Learning and Performance: Issues and Educational Applications. Hillsdale, New Jersey Hove, UK, Lawrence Erlbaun Associates. p. 3-
• Schunk, D. H., Zimmerman, B. J. (Eds.). (1994) Self-regulation of Learning and Performance: Issues and Educational Applications.

Hillsdale, New Jersey Hove, UK, Lawrence Erlbaun Associates.

• Hodges, C. (2005). Self-Regulation in web based courses: a review and the need for Research. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 6(4), 375-384.