Self-Regulated Strategy Development and Generalization Instruction: Effects on Story Writing and Personal Narratives among Students with Severe Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

The effects of Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) and generalization instruction with 3 second and third grade students with severe emotional/behavioral disorders, in one self-contained classroom were examined. The effects of the intervention on multiple measures of story writing were examined at baseline, postinstruction and maintenance. A generalization measure was administered at baseline and postinstruction to assess if the effects of the intervention would transfer to writing personal narratives. Student self-efficacy and social validity of SRSD were also investigated. At both postinstruction and maintenance, students wrote stories that were longer, contained more essential elements, and were qualitatively better than baseline stories. In addition, effects generalized to writing personal narratives, as these papers became longer, contained more essential elements, and were of overall better quality following SRSD instruction. Self-efficacy for writing improved for two of the three students. All three students reported that the strategies they learned were useful and valued their impact on their writing.