Domain-specific self-regulated learning interventions for elementary school students

Abstract

BackgroundSelf-regulated learning has been deemed an essential skill that must be explicitly learned and repeatedly practiced for young students. The need for research on teacher-led self-regulated learning interventions embedded in regular classroom instructions has escalated steadily. AimsWe aimed to investigate self-regulated learning interventions' effectiveness led by teachers applicable to three primary subjects (i.e., writing, mathematics, reading) based on Zimmerman's cyclical model of self-regulated learning. Samples214 Korean upper elementary school students participated in a series of three intervention studies (nStudy1 = 70, nStudy2 = 69, nStudy3 = 75). MethodsTrained homeroom teachers implemented the interventions—incorporating explicit instructions about domain-specific strategies in writing (Study 1), mathematics (Study 2), and reading (Study 3)—in Korean elementary school classrooms. Participants were assigned to one of the three groups: regular classroom instruction (REG), domain-specific strategy instruction (STR), and strategy instruction within the framework of eight-phase self-regulated learning instruction (STR + SRL). ResultsSynthesized results revealed that the STR + SRL group used more self-regulated strategies, performed better in achievement tests, and was less distracted by task-irrelevant thoughts than the STR and REG groups. ConclusionsOur interventions are compatible with domain-specific instructions in multiple subjects and can guide and prompt self-regulatory learning processes in elementary classrooms. Current findings also reiterate the importance of the teachers’ role in research-based interventions to increase ecological validity and applicability. We shed light on the potential mechanism that underlies the relationship between enhanced self-regulated learning and motivational and cognitive outcomes.