Supporting Self-regulatory Behaviour in Tertiary Students

by

Bob Bingham and Allan Doring
Australian Catholic University

 

Introduction

Learning in school, as other-directed, structured and under motivated, often does little to prepare students for learning at tertiary level where self-regulated behaviour is considered advantageous. Self-regulation research has clearly demonstrated that more effective learners process and use a substantial knowledge base that allows them to organise, plan and monitor most aspects of their learning in a task appropriate way. This paper explores the theoretical rationale for attempting to introduce and encourage self-regulation practices among tertiary students. Some practical approaches used in first year education units are presented.

 

Self-regulation

Self-regulation appears as a key process that marks independent learners and enables success at university (Doring, Bingham, Bramwell-Vial, 1997). It appears both as the means by which continuing development will occur and as a goal of the learning process that must be deliberately pursued (Schunk, 1993). Self-regulation encompasses the goal setting, self-monitoring and self-evaluative behaviours valued in the literature and are considered a significant process in personal change.

Self-regulation in learning is a deliberate effort to enhance achievement and often involves a deliberate use of new behaviour (Zimmerman, & Pons, 1986). But learners bring with them to any learning and assessment situation a bundle of cognitions (beliefs, values, etc) about learning, the situation and what appears to be required by it and themselves as learners. Cognitions about the situation influence students' choice of behaviours. Their self-referent cognitions, that is, those thoughts about themselves in the situation, influence their engagement in the behaviour (Bandura, 1986). As such, self-regulation is a significant process of personal change.

Deliberate behavior such as self-regulation is initiated by thought. It requires particular frame of thinking and commitment to the process of a controlled pattern of behaviour. Kirschenbaum (1984) describes five steps in this self-controlled process: problem identification, commitment to change, execution of the process, environmental management and generalisation of behaviours. The process is mediated by self-monitoring of one's attempts to execute the desired behaviour and the subsequent evaluation and self-reinforcement.

Self-regulation therefore, is as much a self-referent process as it is task referenced. Embedded in it as essential steps are a number of self-referent cognitive behaviours such as self-reflection / monitoring, self-revaluation and self-reinforcement each of which has been individually implicated in improved performance (Schunk, 1984; Zimmerman, 1989). But other thoughts such as the individual's self-efficacy beliefs (perceptions of competence in the behaviour) and their causal attributions (beliefs about the causes of success or failure in the tasks) also significantly influence the process.

 

Individual change

Self-regulation is implicated not only as the goal of change but also as the means for it. As noted, clearly, for many students, readiness for independent learning and the development of self-regulation, involves the belief in the need for and the willingness to change their learning behaviour. This implies individual awareness of a learning problem or difficulty, and an emerging commitment to a particular change or development. These are the first two steps of the self-regulation process. While the need for ongoing development is recognised as part of one's lifelong and professional learning, the question remains as to the nature of individual change as part of the learning process. This has particular implications for the student and warrants closer scrutiny.

The acceptance of increased personal responsibility for learning behaviours and outcomes inherent in this self-regulatory process means that students cannot really attribute their failures to others. Learners' self-referent thought is evaluative and judgemental and can be very threatening. There is a risk in establishing the need for students to become the ideal learner too early in their development. Falling short has significant self-referent consequences. Subsequently, feelings of unreadiness and insufficient competence (low self-efficacy) underpin dropout and inadequate attempts at self-regulating in learning and assessment tasks.

The risk of requiring people to deliberately engage in behaviour change is that they will have difficulty with this. The subsequent affective response and self-efficacy levels militate against future engagement in this behaviour. These processes and judgements may require mediation by staff particularly in clarifying beliefs about the acceptable standards at each stage of development

. It also seems important to challenge the prevailing view of the efficacy of instructional education with its acceptance of the passivity of learners and the emphasis on content knowledge if the learning process is to be enhanced. For this reason alone, it appears essential to promote a learning paradigm in which learning-to-learn and frameworks for thinking, that is, metacognition, are valued processes and outcomes.

The following two case studies outline approaches used in attempts to meet the challenges suggested above.

Case Study A: Teaching self-regulation

One of the writers is responsible for a first year unit in the Bachelor of Education course in which a number of activities intended to encourage self-regulation are embedded.

During the semester, students are required to keep a learning journal. The journal provides a record of such activities as outlined below:

 

Activity Purpose
Responding to a prompt question presented at the beginning of each lecture. To identify knowledge and understanding already held.
At the conclusion of each lecture, students write a brief comparison of his or her initial entry and material presented in the lecture. To help identify any gaps and encourage goal setting in guiding further learning.
A weekly reflection on what they have achieved, how well they have achieved and what do they need to improve. To encourage monitoring, evaluation and goal setting.
A monthly review of their learning and how their learning might improve over the next month. To monitor their learning through self-evaluation.

Students are allocated to small groups (4-6) within larger tutorial classes. Group membership remains permanent for the semester. In addition to practising discussion skills, each tutorial requires the completion of a group task and formal evaluation by the group of its effectiveness in completing the task and how to improve their performance.

To date student response has been positive as journal extracts suggest:

As the tutorial progressed and I was allocated a group it became clear to me that I was going to do well. The group as a whole has progressed and we are now confident of completing any given task. My personal progression is excelling also. I'm committed to giving my all. I feel I am well on my way to completing my goals. (99/#15)

The way this subject has been set out was effective in introducing a lot of us with limited knowledge about sociology to it in a way that encourages self-learning. At least for me, this way of learning seems to set the knowledge in concrete rather than make it go in one ear and out the other. As well as being an effective learning tool, group work enables us to see social groups in action and study (99/#18)

In terms of understanding my own learning processes, I have realised that when I actually sit down and start writing in my journal, I can make myself slowly make sense of things I previously didn't understand. It makes my mind click like it is a way of talking myself through something to enable me to understand it. (99/#22)

 

Case Study B: Health Education Model

Work in progress in a second unit seeks to operationalise a model which combines the Self-regulation and Health Belief Model to direct teaching decisions and practice among pre-service education students.

As an aspect of self-care, self-regulation involves: identifying personal health issues, setting specific goals for improving health, considering strategies (plans of action) for practicing and adopting the behaviour using a cost-benefit decision making process, and as the behavioural plan is enacted, monitoring their behaviour in following the plan and evaluating the effectiveness of their actions.

Under current curriculum developments in Health Education, it is argued that pre-service teachers need a sound base in Health Psychology and learner orientated approaches to make strategic choices of teaching-learning activities that will develop self-regulated behaviour.

In this unit, the students are given deliberate practice in selecting teaching approaches that enhance the self-regulation process while being able to explain their choices from a theoretical base. The Health Belief Model has been used to explain and predict health choices and behaviour and to inform curriculum development for implementation.

This unit is intended to develop pedagogical knowledge of the models and processes of self-regulation taking it to an applied knowledge. In addition, the learning activities should increase awareness of their own decision-making behaviour and influences on it. These students should perceive teaching behaviour as a self-regulated activity and develop a meta-cognitive awareness of their own knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, motivation and cognitive processes.

Key aspects of the model and teaching approaches utilised are outlined in the following table:

 

Stages of Model of Self-Regulation Associated HBM Concepts Teaching Approaches
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION * Perceived Threat
* Perceived susceptibility
* Perceived severity|
* Cues to Action
* Perceived Need 		* Expository lesson
* Guest Speaker
* Risk Analysis
* Decision Story
* Discussion
* Values Clarification
COMMITMENT * Cues to Action
* Perceived Priority
* Perceived Efficacy of the Behaviour
- Perceived barriers
- Perceived costs 		* Contracting and Goal Setting
* Brainstorming
* Role Play
* Decision Model e.g. The DECIDE model
* Inquiry-based Approach
EXECUTION/ ENACTMENT * Self-efficacy
* Perceived Efficacy of the Behaviour Task Value
- Intrinsic, Utility, Importance 		* Activity-based Approaches
* The Inquiry-based Approach
* Reflective Journals
* Role Plays
* Values Oriented
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT * Perceived Barriers and/or Costs
* Perceived Priorities 		* Decision Stories
* Surveys
* Peer Teaching
* Inventories
GENERALISATION * Perceived Needs
* Task Value
* Valued Expectations 		* Decision Stories
* Brainstorming
* Problem Solving

 

Reflections

Feedback from students and our own observations suggest a number of students experience varying levels of discomfort with the perceived demands of these processes. This discomfort appears to arise from both task-referenced and self-referenced cognitions. Some difficulty arises from a reluctance or unwillingness to attempt a new learning process.

Linked to this point are a number of other issues:

Such issues are balanced by student reports of

One further issue is that of timing. This is associated with initial anxiety and confusion associated with transition to university.

Like any learning process, this approach has its moments. Absenteeism and individual lack of motivation creates tension among students but these are processed as being part of a real life challenge. Monitoring and assessing from the lecturer's point of view is demanding but considered worthwhile.

 

References

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Doring, A., Bingham, B. & Bramwell-Vial, A. (1997) Transition to university - A self-regulatory approach. AARE Conference, Brisbane.

Kirschenbaum, D.S. (1984). Self-regulation and sport psychology: Nurturing an emerging symbiosis. Journal of Sport Psychology, 6, 159-183.

Schunk, D. H. (1984). Self-efficacy perspectives on achievement behaviour. Educational Psychologist, 19, 48-58.

Schunk, D. H. (1993). Enhancing strategy use: Influences of strategy value and goal orientation. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Atlanta, April.

Zimmerman, B. J. (1989). A social cognitive view of self-regulated academic learning Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 329-339.

Zimmerman, B. J. & Martinez-Pons, M. (1986). Development of a structured interview for assessing students' use of self-regulated learning strategies. American Educational Research Journal, 23, 614-628.

 

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