Fostering self-regulated learning in higher education: Making self-regulation visible

Abstract

Research associates self-regulated learning with academic achievement and lifelong learning. Although there is consensus surrounding the need for students to develop self-regulated learning skills, there is a paucity of research exploring how educators can foster student self-regulated learning. This study examines the teaching practices, beliefs and experiences of educators that foster student self-regulated learning, across a range of disciplines. It explores the characteristics of teaching that foster self-regulated learning, and the influences on educator approaches. Questionnaire and semi-structured interview data were subjected to analysis. The findings identified four types of teaching strategies used to foster self-regulated learning. This study illuminates the conditions that support educators to foster student self-regulated learning, as well as the challenges they face. Educators’ own engagement in self-regulation, often made visible to students, played a key role in promoting students’ self-regulatory capacities.