Self-Regulation Theory

If you were to describe self-regulation theory to a child, how would you describe it in a way to make sure they understand? How can you explain to Calvin how he can become a better student without making him feel bad? First, you must make sure that Calvin understands what Self-Regulation Theory is. We know that Calvin is a very imaginative kid and doesn't learn the best when people just lecture and rant to him. So, let's put it into words that he can understand and may be interesting to him.  "Imagine you have a super cool robot friend. Self-regulation is like your robot friend's ability to control and manage its actions and feelings without someone else telling it what to do. It's like your robot friend having a built-in system that helps it stay calm, make good choices, and handle different situations by itself.  So, self-regulation is about your robot friend being in control and making smart decisions on its own! "(ChatGPT).  With this definition, we can tell Calvin and give him strategies and examples of how to be a self-regulated learner. 

In this theory, the most important thing to understand is that you are in charge of your own learning and growth. It's the idea that individuals can control and manage their own behavior, emotions, and thoughts in order to achieve goals and adapt to their environment. In the most simple terms, it's how we regulate ourselves in order to stay on track. This could be done through things like setting goals, asking for help when needed, and planning. 

There are many different actions and patterns of a self-regulated learner. Some of the best ways to be a self-regulated learner are... 

• Setting Goals

  • Making specific, achievable, yet challenging

• Planning

  • Making plans to meet and achieve goals

• Monitoring

  • Monitoring their progress and growth toward their goals

• Metacognition

  • Thinking about how they're thinking and learning and if it's working for them or not. 

• Motivation

  • Inspiring their own motivation by setting goals and then using rewards and incentives to reach their goals

• Effort Regulation

  • Observing and adapting their effort depending on the task and how demanding it is for them and their capabilities

• Seeking Help

  • Asking for help when needed from students, teachers, or parents

• Self-Reflection

  • Taking their own strengths and weaknesses into account and looking for areas of improvement

• Persistence

  • Persisting when learning gets difficult and doesn't give up when overwhelmed with a task or subject

• Adaptability

  • Adapting when one strategy doesn't work for one task and being flexible with their learning