Self-Regulation Behaviors in Underprepared (Developmental) and Regular Admission College Students

Abstract

Although there is evidence that self-regulated learning processes, such as self-efficacy and goal setting, are significantly related to academic success most studies have not included participants from the one third of the entering college students who must take remedial college courses. The purpose of our research was to examine the differences between the self regulation reported by regular admission students and by underprepared students. We hypothesized that self regulating behaviors could predict developmental, that is underprepared, status or regular admission status among postsecondary students. Self regulation processes in randomly selected developmental and regular admission college students were identified using a structured interview. A discriminant function analysis tested the predictive ability of three measures of self regulating behavior. Developmental and regular admission students differed significantly in their self regulatory strategy deployment. The results suggest that self regulation may be a distinguishing characteristic between some developmental and regular admission students.