Mentoring Student Teachers to Design and Implement Literacy Tasks that Support Self-Regulated Reading and Writing

Abstract

Self-regulated learning (SRL) researchers have paid relatively little attention to questions concerning (a) the level of experience and expertise required to create high-SRL environments, (b) how teachers acquire such expertise, and (c) how expert instruction needs to be to influence students' SRL positively. We agree with Randi and Corno (2000) that this is an important area of inquiry if instruction about SRL is to become as widespread as researchers think it should be. This study examined whether and how beginning teachers can be mentored to design tasks and develop practices that foster SRL in elementary school students. Observations of language arts lessons were analyzed to determine the extent to which student teachers' tasks and practices created opportunities for children to engage in self-regulated reading and writing. Most student teachers (85%) received a high SRL score, indicating they were designing tasks and engaging in practices that supported development of and engagement in self-regulated reading and writing. A detailed description of the support provided to student teachers for their development of high-SRL practices is provided, along with narrative descriptions of high SRL tasks and practices in two student teachers' classrooms.