Amanda Gordon EDEP 822 Spring 2011 THEORIES OF SELF-REGULATED LEARNING Operant View Students are motivated when

external reinforcement occurs. Self-reinforcement will continue if results are successful and will cease if they are not helping the student. Strong association between behavior and the consequence of behavior. Social Cognitive View Interdependent web of person, behavior and environment. Motivation to self-regulate occurs when students have an expectation of an outcome. They are motivated by that outcome and not by a reward (which is how it differs from the operant perspective). Self-efficacy can also motivate students. Through self-observation comes self-perception which increases self-awareness. Self-observations can be assisted through self-recording (similar to operant perspective).

What motivates students to self-regulate during learning?

Through what process or procedure do students become self-aware?

Self-monitoring and selfrecording are very important when helping students to become self-aware. Students will increase selfawareness by recording their actions that can then be observed directly.

Key processes or responses that self-regulated students use to attain their academic goals

There are 3 types of key responses: self-monitoring, self-instruction and selfreinforcement. Self-instructive statements will lead to certain behavior that will ultimately lead to reinforcement (stimulusresponse). Self-reinforcement will be sustained through external rewards.

There are 3 types of key processes: self-observation, self-judgment, and selfreaction (evaluative vs. tangible). They all work together- selfobservation leads to selfevaluation which ultimately leads to self-reaction. Importance of goals (unlike operant theorists)

How does the social and physical environment affect student self-regulated learning?

Strong relationship between observable behavior and environment. Internal processes are seen in observable behavior.

Social processes such as modeling and mastery experiences have had a strong impact on self-regulated learning and increased selfefficacy. Self-regulation does not automatically develop in students. Students must learn to self-regulate. Developmental level of children plays a part in selfregulated learning (operant theorists hardly focus on this)

How does a learner acquire the capacity to self-regulate when learning?

External factors play a large part in students learning to self-regulate. They are set forth in the beginning to help students learn to self-regulate and then are gradually taken away. Important factors when learning to self-regulate are good models and external rewards.

References Zimmerman, B.J. (2000). Attaining self-regulation: A social cognitive perspective. In M. Boekaerts, P. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Self-regulation: Theory, research and applications (pp. 13-39). Orlando, FL: Academic Press. Zimmerman, B.J. (1989a). A social cognitive view of self-regulated academic learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81(3), 329-339. Zimmerman, B.J. (1989b). Models of self-regulated learning and academic achievement. In B.J. Zimmerman & D.H. Schunk (Eds.), Self-regulated learning and academic achievement: Theory, research and practice (pp. 1-25). New York: Springer-Verlag.