Pupils’ readiness for self-regulated learning in the forethought phase of Exploratory Production

Abstract

This article discusses pupils’ readiness for self-regulation in Exploratory Production in Technology Education. In the forethought phase of Exploratory Production, pupils envision and regulate their technological production activities. Next, in the performance phase, the envisioned goals are tried and implemented through ideating, planning and manufacturing. Finally, in the self-regulation phase, the goals are tested with new products in their usage targets. The theoretical framework of self-regulated learning and empirical categorization of the data are based on Zimmerman’s model (Self-regulated learning from teaching to self-reflective practice. The Guilford Press, New York, pp 1–19, 1998, Handbook of self-regulation of learning and performance. Routledge, London, pp 49–64, 2011). The focus of this article is on the forethought phase. The empirical analysis in this article is based on national evaluation data of Finnish compulsory education. The first national evaluation of learning outcomes in Technology Education (taught within the subject Craft) was implemented by the Finnish National Board of Education in spring 2010. The evaluation was carried out as two questionnaires for ninth graders with general (n = 4,792) and advanced (n = 1,548) questions, and a production exercise (n = 661). In this article, the data is analyzed further based on learners’ comprehensions, leisure-time activities and classroom techniques. The article is part of a larger research project that aims to improve the national evaluation data. The results on pupils’ readiness for self-regulation in the forethought phase of Exploratory Production are encouraging. Pupils’ have positive comprehensions of the Craft & Technology (C & T) subject and they find learning useful for their current life and for the future. Learning tasks and producing tasks in the C & T subject could be even more related to pupils’ own technological and functional experiences. More effort should be given to support pupils’ readiness to regulate goals for their own technological production activities.