Promotion of self-regulated learning in classrooms: investigating frequency, quality, and consequences for student performance

Metacognition Learning (2010) 5:157171

DOI 10.1007/s11409-010-9055-3

Saskia Kistner & Katrin Rakoczy & Barbara Otto & Charlotte Dignath-van Ewijk & Gerhard Bttner & Eckhard Klieme

Received: 23 December 2009 /Accepted: 26 April 2010 /

Published online: 23 June 2010# Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010

Abstract An implication of the current research on self-regulation is to implement the promotion of self-regulated learning in schools. Teachers can promote self-regulated learning either directly by teaching learning strategies or indirectly by arranging a learning environment that enables students to practise self-regulation. This study investigates teachers direct and indirect promotion of self-regulated learning and its relation to the development of students performance. Twenty German mathematics teachers with their overall 538 students (grade 9) were videotaped for a three-lesson unit on the Pythagorean Theorem. Students mathematics performance was tested several times before and after the observed lessons. A low-inferent coding system was applied to assess the teachers implicit or explicit instruction of cognitive strategies (e.g., organisation), metacognitive strategies (e.g., planning), and motivational strategies (e.g., resource management). High-inferent ratings were used to assess features of the learning environment that foster self-regulation. Results reveal that a great amount of strategy teaching takes place in an implicit way, whereas explicit strategy teaching and supportive learning environment are rare. The instruction of organisation strategies and some features of the learning environment (constructivism, transfer) relate positively to students performance development. In contrast to implicit strategy instruction, explicit strategy instruction was associated with a gain in performance. These results reveal a discrepancy between the usefulness of explicit strategy instruction and its rare occurrence in classrooms.

S. Kistner (*) : B. Otto : G. Bttner

Institute of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage 15, 60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germanye-mail: [email protected]

K. Rakoczy : E. Klieme

German Institute for International Educational Research (DIPF), Schlostrae 29, 60486 Frankfurt/Main, Germany

C. Dignath-van Ewijk

Department of Educational Science, University of Groningen, Grote Rozenstraat 3, 9712 TG Groningen, The Netherlands

Promotion of self-regulated learning in classrooms: investigating frequency, quality, and consequences for student performance

158 S. Kistner et al.

Keywords Self-regulated learning . Learning environment . Video observation . Instructional effectiveness . Classroom research

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