Self-regulatory strategy

A self-regulatory technique

A self-regulatory technique involves learning that makes use of the motivational component to speed up the learning process. The method involves monitoring and analyzing the students’ learning behaviors, hence it primarily serves the teacher’s interests (Laskey, 2010).

Advantages of self-regulatory learning

Like other systems, the self-regulatory approach has advantages for enhancing and facilitating teaching and learning. Self-regulatory learning stresses control as well as autonomy by the instructor in monitoring, guiding, and regulating the activities of information acquisition and improvement of previously existing knowledge and skills, according to Moos & Ringdal (2012). In this case, the learners tend to identify their weaknesses and strengths and hence develop effective ways to utilize them in tackling academic tasks. All these will in turn allow the learners to develop and maintain high levels of intelligence and expert knowledge even after completion of the academic tasks.

Motivation and academic success

Moreover, Zumbrunn, Tadlock, & Roberts (2011) indicate that self-regulated learners tend to motivate development of strong believes that the presence of these opportunities provided by teachers to take on the challenging tasks provides academic success. Also, the learners have the chance to practice and exert effort to their learning as well as develop an in-depth understanding of the subject that will also increases academic success. In addition, all these characteristics acquired from self-regulated learning shows the sense of high efficacy in academic and life tasks held by learners who used this strategy while learning. Many educational psychology researchers in their work have associated these self-regulated learning characteristics to the successes of the students in school and even beyond in their lives after school. The success of the learners is attributed to the ability imparted by self-regulation to take control of their own environment and regulate actions towards certain specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timed (smart) goals.

Techniques for motivating self-regulatory strategies

Zumbrunn et al. (2011) indicates that teachers can motivate learners to use self-regulatory strategies by employee several techniques. Instructors can assist students in setting and developing smart learning goals, which motivate them to develop own ways of achievement. Also, teachers can guide the students in planning, developing ways of monitoring and evaluation for achieving the goals, which gives morale to the learners. Besides, instructors can provide effective feedback to the students in every task, which allows the students to identify areas of strength and those to improve and hence encouraging them to identify ways of performing well in various tasks.

Social support and self-regulatory learning

According to Zumbrunn et al. (2011), social support provided by teachers can help a lot in developing, improving and maintaining self-regulatory strategies among learners. Social support learning strategies increase the ability and motivation of the learners to utilize self-regulated learning in achieving academic as well as after-school life activities. Hence, teachers and instructors can use these social learning strategies in various ways to develop, improve, and also motivate the learners to utilize self-regulatory learning. One of the social supports involves providing feedback for the learners. The teachers can give feedback to the students concerning where they excelled, areas that need improvement and guided on how to make these improvements. Feedback increases learners’ motivation and morale to do well in their academic tasks. Another social support involves training the learners and providing opportunities for self-evaluation. Self-evaluation allows the students to learn how to identify weaknesses and strengths and how to improve. Additionally, employing self-reflection among students encourages them to identify smart goals and ways to achieving them in case of failure.

Benefits of self-regulatory learning

Therefore, self-regulatory learning has many benefits in teaching and learning. It allows development of autonomy, self-control, and the ability to succeed in school and after school. However, it needs support from the use of various ways, which include the use of social support and motivational techniques that encourage learners to use self-regulatory learning.

References

Laskey, M. L. |Hetzel. (2010). Self-Regulated Learning, Metacognition, and Soft Skills: The 21st Century Learner. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED511589

Moos, D. C., & Ringdal, A. (2012). Self-Regulated Learning in the Classroom: A Literature Review on the Teacher’s Role. Education Research International, 2012, e423284. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/423284

Zumbrunn, S., Tadlock, J., & Roberts, E. D. (2011). Encouraging self-regulated learning in the classroom: A review of the literature. Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC). Retrieved from http://www.self-regulation.ca/uploads/5/6/2/6/56264915/encouraging_self_regulated_learning_in_the_classroom.pdf