The Importance of Self-Regulation for College Student Learning.

Abstract

The ability to self-regulate is important for students at any level, but is especially valuable to those in college, as they are confronted with a great deal of material in a short span of time. Some studies demonstrate that college students axe effective self-regulators, while other studies indicate they are not (Peverly, Brobst, Graham, & Shaw, 2003). Despite this debate, it is clear that there are differences between those who use self-regulatory strategies and those who do not. This paper will discuss the concept of self-regulation, its related constructs, and the ability of college students to self-regulate. Furthermore, it will address self-regulatory skills and ways in which to improve this ability. Strategies will be compared, and educational implications will also be discussed. Keywords: self-regulation; strategy instruction; college students ********** Short of moving away from home and adjusting to a new school, taking tests is the greatest cause of anxiety for college students. With insurmountable amounts of information to master for several classes, while still attempting to juggle paper writing, presentations, maintaining a social life, and doing laundry on one's own for the first time, studying for an exam may seem like an impossible task. In order to effectively prepare for course assessments and learn the information, students must be capable of self-regulation. Students must also metacognitively monitor the ways in which they think about the material they are learning. Knowledge itself is insufficient; students must accurately judge whether or not they possess it. This paper will examine self-regulation and related constructs. It will also discuss the differences between learners who are self-regulated and those who are not, to elucidate the variations in strategy use and learning approaches for the purpose of test preparation. Finally, this paper will pro vide educators with valuable information regarding strategies used to improve learning and self-regulatory skill. Self-Regulation Self-regulation refers to the self-generated thoughts, feelings, and actions for attaining one's goals (Zimmerman, 2000). This process definition focuses on one's beliefs and motives and does not treat self-regulation as a specific trait or ability (Zimmerman, 2000). This conceptualization is derived from Bandura's triadic view of self-regulation which involves the relationship between the person, their behaviors, and the environment. Self-regulating ones performance is cyclical in that the feedback from prior performances is used to adjust one's current approach. The personal, behavioral, and environmental factors are also adapted and changed throughout the learning process as one continues to grow and learn (Zimmerman, 2000). There are three stages of self-regulation: forethought, performance/volitional control, and self-reflection. The forethought phase precedes action, and includes components such as goal setting and motivational beliefs. The performance/volitional control phase includes the efforts to sustain attention and action, and finally the self-reflection phase involves the appraisals of one's performance. These reflections then influence the next self-regulatory cycle (Zimmerman, 2000). Based on previous work (Winne, 1997, as cited in Zimmerman, 2000), it is assumed that everyone is capable of self-regulation to an extent. What really differs between people is the quality and quantity of their self-regulatory processes. Researchers have shown that self-regulated learners set clear and realistic goals, use strategies, self-monitor, and evaluate their progress, as well as complete tasks on time, report high levels of motivation, and exhibit skill acquisition (Schunk & Swartz, 1993; Zimmerman, 2000, as cited in Kitsantas, 2002). Several self-regulatory processes are thought to influence performance, such as goal setting, self-monitoring, self-evaluating, self-consequences, environmental structuring, and help seeking (Kitsantas, 2002). …

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