OVERVIEW OF SELF-REGULATION
Related to other competencies such as emotional self control, flexibility, initiative, goal setting, and optimism, self-regulation is the ability to monitor and manage emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to achieve desired outcomes (Barkley, 2004). Self-regulated students strive to develop their self-awareness to effectively manage their time and efforts, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and redirect actions once mistakes or obstacles are recognized. The better students self-regulate, the better they can master more complex skills and concepts (Shanker, 2012).
“Self-regulation is not a mental ability or an academic performance skill; rather it is the self-directive process by which learners transform their mental abilities into academic skills.”
Zimmerman, 2002
Using self-regulation, students have been found to focus attention, avoid distractions, complete more homework, learn more, get higher test scores, have increased motivation, get along better with teachers and other students, and maximize academic and social interactions that promote future successes (Barkley, 2004). As students practice self-regulation in learning, they develop self-efficacy, that is, confidence in one’s abilities, and core skills that continue to be effective in and out of school and into the workplace (Zimmerman, 2002).
Students with poor self-regulation have greater risk of low academic achievement, peer rejection, and emotional problems.
The following video (4.35 minutes) offers a self-regulation overview and suggested teacher practices. As you view the video, consider these questions:
- Why is self-regulation more than a plan?
- Besides reflection and teacher-provided examples, what other strategies did the video include?
UNPACKING SELF-REGULATION
Self-regulation isn’t just for students who want to improve their skills, knowledge, or behavior. Elite athletes self-regulate their workouts to ensure desired performance, performers dedicate substantial time to practice, and employees ensure they complete tasks in a timely manner without getting distracted. Each plans and monitors by being self-aware of current behaviors, testing different strategies, and reflecting on outcomes.
Through the following four-step self-regulation process of connecting behavior directly to desired outcomes, students build confidence in their ability to perform at high levels, thereby increasing their self-efficacy (i.e., the belief that they can achieve) (Gaumer et al, 2015).
Plan (right from the start)
A self-regulation plan starts with answering the question “What do you want to change?” Once answered, the desired change needs to be analyzed. Is it adding or removing a behavior? Is it a one-time, daily, weekly, or multi-step goal? How much time will it take? What needs to be done to accomplish the task? Are supplies needed? For example, if students find a textbook confusing, they may decide they will underline text or write summaries to better understand content. Or if the room is too noisy to concentrate, they might try studying in a different room. Some changes might encompass more planning. What if, for instance, students want to study more effectively? To do that, they need to think about how they usually study. How long do they study? Where do they study? Were there distractions? They should examine their study process, too. Did it include reading the chapter, taking notes, answering questions? When designing a plan, students then would incorporate what works and different study techniques (e.g., times of day, locations, with/without partners) and strategies to avoid distractions (e.g., turn off phone, set a timer, ask a parent to point out when he/she seems distracted).
Monitor progress
Self-monitoring provides immediate feedback, engages students, and increases students’ awareness of their own behavior in terms of task progress (Moxley, 1998).
Because tasks may not be completed as planned or obstacles may get in the way, students need to ask themselves what changes they should make and then make those changes. Teachers may need to remind students to follow their plan to help them keep self-regulating and can encourage them to visually chart progress.
Control
While it’s tempting to tell students what to do, they have to take charge of their own actions to master self-regulation. They have to use strategies to keep themselves on track toward a goal and control change by implementing specific strategies when things are not going as planned. Students should use self-motivation in the absence of external incentives as they become more autonomous (Zimmerman, 2004) and be able to delay gratification for attainable future rewards (Bembenutty, 2009). When doing tasks, they could use the strategy of self-talk, that is, thinking aloud, to verbalize thoughts, feelings, and strategies as they work through a problem (Boekaerts & Corno, 2005).
Reflect
Self-regulation involves ongoing reflection. In other words, students make observations about themselves and ask themselves questions such as “How am I doing?” “What self-regulation strategies worked best for me?” “Why did they work best?” “Am I on track to achieve my goal?” “Do I need to make adjustments to my plan?” If progress isn’t as intended, remind students they have the ability but might not have used the best strategy or made sufficient effort. Also explain that self-regulation can be a discovery process and they need to experiment to find what works best.