Engaging young writers in self-regulated learning: an examination of teaching practices and learning processes
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2017
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Melbourne Authors
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Melbourne Graduate School of Education
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PhD thesis
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Open Access
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© 2017 Dr. Elisabeth Clifton
Abstract
One approach currently promoted to support substantial increases in student learning is the development of self-regulated learning SRL (Hadwin & Oshige, 2011; Winnie, 2014a; Zimmerman & Schunk, 2011). However there is limited research into SRL as an event that happens in real time, particularly examining how co-regulated learning leads to SRL or how young writers acquire SRL skills (Perry & Rahim, 2011).
This study investigates how Year 1 writers can be supported to SRL. This study employed a case study methodology and focused on three teachers and nine students during writing lessons over thirty-five weeks. Microanalytic observations involved a brief questioning prior to, during and after writing, and occurred on four occasions throughout the study period to examine how students set goals, planned strategies, used strategies, and self-evaluated what they had achieved (Cleary, Callan, & Zimmerman, 2012; DiBenedetto & Zimmerman, 2013; Hadwin & Oshige, 2011; Zimmerman, 2008). Following the observations, an interview was conducted with each teacher. These interviews operated as directed conversations that enabled an in-depth exploration of particular issues arising from the observations and the analysis of data. Directly following observations, writing samples from the students were collected (nine samples per term, thirty-six in total). A Year 1 writing analysis tool developed by Mackenzie, Scull, and Bowles (2015) was used to analyse these samples. Constructivist grounded theory method was used to structure the collection and analysis of interview, observation and work sample data (Bryant & Charmaz, 2007; Charmaz, 2000, 2014).
The analysis of findings revealed that the teacher participants used specific processes and practices to support their students to engage in SRL. It is proposed that the supporting practices observed could be suitably defined as three core learning processes that supported Year 1 writers to engage in SRL. The core processes identified were:
• An intentional learning process
• Socially structured regulation of learning
• Metacognitive regulation of learning
These three processes were theoretically positioned to explore how they impacted on students’ engagement in SRL. The overall conclusion was that each process operated differently with specific functions.
The findings illustrated that teachers implemented an intentional learning process to focus and clarify student understanding and to guide students to engage in self-assessment and use of their own feedback loop. This process functioned to support intentional learning by providing opportunities for purposeful learning, conceptually focused learning, self-assessment and connection making. There was also evidence of socially structured regulation of learning implemented by teachers to systemise the students’ learning, to engage them in peer-supported learning and to scaffold learning. This process functioned to provide opportunities for challenging but manageable learning, co-regulated learning and scaffolded learning. Metacognitive regulation of learning identified as the third process, was used to prompt students to use metalanguage strategies such as goal setting, strategy planning/use and reflecting upon learning.
To begin the construction of a substantive theory, a synthesis and conceptualisation of the above findings was conducted. It was proposed that the three core learning processes identified during the study could be interrelated to support Year 1 writers to engage in SRL, and when suitably aligned, could function to provide a transparent learning process resulting in a synergy of learning. To conclude findings, a guiding principle for designing instruction was presented. This serves to illustrate how key learning processes can be aligned to support Year 1 writers to SRL.
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self-regulated learning, pedagogy, writing, young learners, learning processes