What is
Self Regulation?
The
ability to self-regulate has been viewed as a desirable
quality throughout history because of its positive affects
on behavior and the acquisition of skills (Reid, 1993).
The appeal of self-regulation and its positive effects
on behavior and educational outcomes has prompted much
research in this area. “Self-Regulation refers
to the self-directive process through which learners
transform their mental abilities into task related skills
(Zimmerman, 2001).” This is the method or procedure
that learners use to manage and organize their thoughts
and convert them into skills used for learning. Self-regulation
is the process of continuously monitoring progress toward
a goal, checking outcomes, and redirecting unsuccessful
efforts (Berk, 2003). In order for students to be self-regulated
they need to be aware of their own thought process,
and be motivated to actively participate in their own
learning process (Zimmerman, 2001).
Why use Self-Regulation?
Self-regulation is desirable because of the effects
that it has on educational and behavioral outcomes.
The use of Self-Regulation techniques are a way to actively
engage otherwise passive students in their academic
instruction. Students need to view learning as an activity
that they do for themselves in a proactive manner, rather
than viewing learning as a covert event that happens
to them as a result of instruction (Zimmerman, 2001).
Allowing students to take a more active role in their
education puts students in the driver’s seat and
in charge.
Who is Self-Regulation good for?
Self-regulation techniques are widely used. Successful
people and learners use self-regulation to effectively
and efficiently accomplish a task. They will regulate
different strategies and monitor the effectiveness of
that strategy while evaluating and determining the next
course of action. Generally, successful learners already
utilize various forms of self-regulation. Instruction
in the use of self-regulation is typically directed
towards students who are not currently using such techniques,
and consequently are not successful in educational settings.
Through the use of strategies and self-regulation, performance
can be greatly improved. The use of self-regulation
techniques assists students in performing tasks more
effectively and independently.
For example, successful learners will constantly check
their comprehension. When successful learners read a
passage, and realize that they do not understand what
they have read, they will go back and reread, and question
or summarize what is that they need to understand. On
the other hand, when a student with learning disabilities
reads a passage, and realizes that they do not understand
what they have read, they tend to shut down, or just
continue to read because they do not recognize the goal
of reading the passage.
Students with learning disabilities tend to be passive
learners, often failing to evaluate and monitor their
own learning, in order to compensate they allow others
to regulate their learning or relying on the assistance
of others to successfully complete a task. They lack
these essential executive control functions, which are
necessary to complete complex academic tasks independently.
Components of Executive Control Process:
1. Coordinating metacognitive knowledge – Regulating
cognitive and metacognitive knowledge, understanding
one’s own knowledge, and thought process.
2. Planning - Using a deliberate and organized approach
to attack a task.
3. Monitoring – Assessing comprehension while progressing
through a task, and checking for effectiveness, testing,
evaluating and revising strategies.
4. Failure detection – While progressing through
a task, detecting when there is a misunderstanding or
and error is made.
5. Failure correction – When an error is detected,
going back and correcting any mistakes.
Through instruction in various self-regulation techniques
students with learning disabilities can be successful
at “the self-directive process through which learners
transform their mental abilities into task related skills
(Zimmerman, 2001).”
