Self-regulated learning: definition and importance

Self-regulated learning has a lot to do with the way in which people regulate our emotions, cognitions, behaviors and aspects of the context. during a learning experience. Furthermore, we know that, especially at the school level, the sooner the skills for self-control of learning processes are developed, the more successful and rewarding the educational experience will be.

Self-regulation skills include good time management, the ability to quickly select the most efficient problem-solving strategies, and the ability to actively control emotional states, such as frustration.

Definition of self-regulated learning

Barry Zimmerman, one of the leading researchers in self-regulated learning, says that Self-regulation is not a mental skill or an academic performance skillbut rather it is a self-directed process through which students transform their mental skills into academic skills.

According to Zimmerman, Self-regulated learning involves not only detailed knowledge of a skill, but also it involves self-awareness, self-motivation, and the behavioral ability to implement that knowledge appropriately.

While “novice students” rely on feedback from others and compare their performances with those of others, often attributing their failure to deficiencies that cannot be remedied, more experienced students who They know how to manage their learning, they recognize when they have failed, and then focus on how they can fix what went wrong.

On the other hand, self-regulation is not a trait that some students have and others do not. Rather, according to Zimmerman, Self-regulation involves the selective use of specific processes that must be personally adapted to each learning task. Thus, it is best to talk about self-regulation regarding learning or a specific type of learning.

The importance of learning self-regulated learning skills

Although self-regulated learning skills are essential tools for lifelong learning, they are often not taught explicitly.. This causes many students to lack independence, motivation, persistence, and a positive sense of well-being. For educators to effectively transmit these skills to their students, it is necessary that they know in depth the most important mechanisms of this self-regulation.

Students go through three main phases when regulating their own learning: planning, performance, and reflection.. These phases are not necessarily successive and ordered. Students can go through many cycles through a learning task.

During planning, students establish their goals and standards, which must be achieved in a specific task, session or course. This phase involves students’ perception of the learning environment.During performance, students show their commitment to their learning experience. During this phase, students monitor their learning, usually by comparing their progress to the standards established in the planning phase.During the reflection phase, students think about and evaluate their learning experience.. This includes reflecting on feedback and mentally storing ideas and concepts for use in future learning.

Given the importance of self-regulated learning, It is vital that teachers explicitly teach these skills and provide strategies for students to apply when learning.. Part of this teaching process should include:

Explain the usefulness and importance of self-regulated learning skills to students. Explicitly teach students self-regulated learning strategies. Help students identify when and where they can use self-regulated learning skills.

Research (Dignath-van Ewijk, C., and van der Werf, G. (2012)) based on teachers’ beliefs and behaviors related to self-regulated learning has shown that Teachers believe in the value of teaching self-regulated learning skills to their students. The results highlight from the research how teacher training would provide them with tools and knowledge to promote self-regulated learning effectively.

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