Issues in self-regulated learning: Metacognition, conditional knowledge and the regulation of motivation.

Abstract

A multiple manuscript format composed of three related pieces was used in this dissertation to examine three issues related to self-regulated learning. The first manuscript presented a theoretical discussion of the relation between metacognitive knowledge and four processes related to self-regulated learning, self-efficacy, goal orientation, monitoring and regulation. This discussion highlighted the role of metacognitive knowledge in understanding self-regulated learning. The second manuscript was an empirical study of conditional knowledge and its relation to junior high school students' cognitive and regulatory strategy use, and classroom achievement. The goal of this study was to examine whether conditional knowledge was an important predictor of strategy use and performance in a group of junior high school students ($N=379$). Students completed self-report measures assessing conditional knowledge and strategy use, whereas achievement was assessed based on teacher reported grades. Results indicated that conditional knowledge, operationalized as the endorsement of effective strategies and the rejection of ineffective strategies, was a positive predictor of cognitive and regulatory strategy use in English, mathematics and social studies. The third manuscript examined college-age students' regulation of motivation in their introductory psychology course. The goal of this study was to identify and describe a range of strategies that students ($N=115$) might use to regulate their academic motivation, and to relate this regulation to cognitive strategy use and achievement. Regulation of motivation was assessed in two ways. One, students reported what they would do in 12 hypothetical situations if they wanted to sustain motivation. Two, students completed a self-report survey which included items asking directly about their regulation of motivation. As a group, students described a variety of strategies directed at maintaining motivational levels. In addition, results indicated that students' regulation of intrinsic motivation assessed using both methodologies was positively related to the use of some cognitive and regulatory strategies, but not to course grades. Conclusions from all three manuscripts were related to the existing work on self-regulated learning, and areas of further research were identified.