Using a Strategy Project to Promote
Self-Regulated Learning
Hillary H. Steiner, Ph.D.
Department of First-Year and Transition Studies
Kennesaw State University
Lorraine S. Gilpin Travel Award Recipient
2017 USG Regents’ SoTL Award Recipient
USG SoTL Mentor
Origins of the Project
•
Inspired by a similar project by M. Simpson and S.
Nist at University of Georgia; they in turn had been
inspired by other projects
•
Created to enable students to practice the most
important skills a college student needs
•
Perfect for the first-year seminar, but adaptable for
many courses
The Strategy Project Assignment
• Worth 30% of semester grade
• Accompanied by instruction in how to use
each of the strategies and the cognitive basis
for using these strategies.
– Students should know how to use strategies but
also why to use them (Steiner, 2014)
Theoretical Framework
•
•
•
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Self-regulating strategies are predictors of academic
success (Pintrich & DeGroot, 1990; Kitsantas, 2002).
To achieve mastery, strategies must be deliberately
practiced (Ericsson, 1996).
For best effect, strategies must be deliberately
practiced in a contextualized setting that is valuable to
the student (Simpson, Hynd, Nist, & Burrell, 1997).
This deliberate practice can help students become
metacognitive, self-regulated learners.
Study #1
Steiner, H.H. (2016). The strategy project: Promoting self-regulated learning
through an authentic assignment. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in
Higher Education, 28 (2), 271-282.
Methodology:
•
•
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Four instructors assigned the strategy project in their first-year seminar during
Fall 2013
Students’ reflection papers (N=86) were coded for themes
Grade improvement reports (N=76) were analyzed via descriptive stats
Study #1: Qualitative Findings
Topic
Task value
Emerging theme
Students viewed this assignment as helpful.
Students viewed this assignment as worth the time commitment.
High-school to college transition
Students expected a higher work load upon entering college.
Students were overconfident in their strategies based on high school successes.
Despite overconfidence, many students were fearful about their first college exams, not knowing
what to expect.
Students reported little studying and time management activities in high school.
Students recognized after the first exam that new strategies would be necessary.
Students were not willing to attempt this change in strategies on their own.
Changes in strategy use
Students were initially disinterested in the strategy project assignment.
Students, especially those who reported enjoying some of the more difficult strategies, displayed
emerging metacognition and an understanding of why some strategies worked while others did not.
Students had mixed responses to most of the individual strategies, but the plan of study and
professor interaction were universally well-liked.
Changes in achievement and self-efficacy
Students reported increased test grades in their chosen courses.
Students reported increased confidence in their test-taking abilities.
Long-term benefits
Students reported permanent changes in their study and time-management strategies.
Students reported a recognition of the value of effort in preparing for exams.
Study #1: Grade Improvements
Current Study: Methodology
• RQ: Are first-year seminar students more likely to
show evidence of metacognition and self-regulation
after completing the strategy project?
• Students (N=51) in my two sections of KSU 1101
were given pre- and post-assessments:
– Modified MSLQ (Pintrich & DeGroot, 1990)
– Strategy use self-report
About the Students
• All were first-semester, full-time, traditionalage students (mean age: 18)
Ethnicity:
Gender:
African-American
11.5%
Female
53.8%
Asian
3.8%
Male
42.3%
Hispanic
11.5%
Other
0%
White (Caucasian)
65.4%
No Response
3.8%
Other
1.9%
No Response
5.8%
Current Study: Results
• A Wilcoxon Signed Rank test revealed a statistically significant
pre- and post-test difference on the total scores of MSLQ
questions pertaining to metacognitive self-regulation, z = 2.757, p < .01, with a fairly large effect size (r = .40)
• The most significant difference in this subscale was found on
the following questions:
• When reading for this course, I make up questions to help focus my
reading.
• I ask myself questions to make sure I understand the material I have been
studying in my course.
• I try to change the way I study in order to fit the course requirements and
the instructor’s teaching style.
• I often find that I have been reading for this course but don’t know what
it was all about.
Current Study: Results
• A series of Related-Samples McNemar’s Tests revealed
statistically significant differences for the following pre- and
post- self-reported strategies:
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Textbook annotations (active reading)*
Flashcards***
Charts, diagrams or concept maps**
Group Studying*
Self-Quizzing**
*p < .05
** p < .01
***p < .001
• No significant differences were found for these strategies:
–
–
–
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Textbook reading (passive reading)
Re-reading class notes
Completing practice problems
Taking notes in class
Current Study: Discussion
• Students made gains in metacognition and selfregulation as measured by the MSR subscale of MSLQ
• More students reported using metacognitive
strategies to study, especially strategies involving selfquizzing and good reading behaviors
• Students did not always “dump” their old strategies
Future Directions
• Fall 2017: Large-Scale Study of Strategy Project will
replicate this study with ~200 students, several different
instructors
• Instructors will be provided professional development to
learn how to teach study skills and theoretical foundations
• What other ways can we promote metacognition in the
classroom?
References
Ericsson, K. A. (1996). The acquisition of expert performance: An
introduction to some of the issues. In K. A. Ericsson (Ed.), The road to
excellence: The acquisition of expert performance in the arts and sciences,
sports, and games (pp. 1–50). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Kitsantas, A. (2002). Test preparation and test
performance: A self-regulatory analysis. Journal of Experimental Education,
41, 231–240.
Pintrich, P. R., & DeGroot, E. V., (1990). Motivational and self-regulated
learning components of classroom academic performance. Journal of
Educational Psychology, 82(1), 33-40.
Simpson, M. L., Hynd, C. R., Nist, S. L., & Burrell, K.I. (1997). College
academic assistance programs and practices. Educational Psychology Review,
9(1), 39-71.