Causes of Motivational Patterns

Some researchers are unsure of why some students become self-regulated learners (SRLs) while others do not.
Many researchers have concluded that self-regulated Learners are meta-cognitively and meta-motivationally aware of what they are doing and what needs to be done to accomplish set goals within their learning (Boekaerts, 1996).
- - Meta-cognition: the knowledge and awareness of one’s own thinking (Zimmerman, 2002).
  - Meta-motivation: motivation control and action control (Boekaerts, 1996)

SRLs plan, set goals, organize, self-monitor, and self-evaluate throughout the acquisition process, which makes them self-aware, knowledgeable, and decisive in their learning techniques (Zimmerman, 1990)

SRL uses top-down processing that is set by a goal

It also uses bottom-down processing at the microlevel, which is guided by monitoring task processing as it happens (Efklides, 2001).

Causes of Positive Motivational Patterns

A student's desire to seem competent, gain acceptance, or be perceived as a particular “possible self” are the primary motivational influences (Paris, 2001)
Students' inclination, sensitivity, choice, level and time of involvement, and effort expenditure (Boekaerts, 1996)
When students approach tasks with confidence, diligence, and resourcefulness (Zimmerman, 1990)
Students' increased awareness of when they do/do not possess a skill or know a fact (Zimmerman, 1990)
Students who proactively seek out information (Zimmerman, 1990)
Students with a strong internal locus of control to complete tasks (Zimmerman, 1990)
Students who self-observe their performance after setting proximal goals show higher levels of self-efficacy than students who do not set goals (Bandura & Schunk, 1981)
Students tend to have more motivation when they see a learning situation or task as a meaningful learning experience
Children who are taught self-regulation at home through modeling and who are allowed opportunities to regulate themselves safely tend to have better self-regulation as adults

Causes of Negative Motivational Patterns

Students sometimes predict failure, give up, or decide to put in little effort to avoid costs to self-perception/others' perception of their competence
Students who underestimate the demands of a task/overestimate their abilities tend to fall short
Young children have less concept of delayed gratification and less self-regulation/control, as they cannot self-monitor and respond to their learning outcomes (Zimmerman, 1990)
Young kids are overly optimistic about learning and do not fully understand what is involved in academic tasks; they are more intuitive than logical and believe trying hard is enough to be successful (Zimmerman, 1990)
Students who view a task as unimportant or useless to their learning have less motivation to start and complete the task
Parents who are too permissive, as well as parents who are too controlling, create a bad environment for learning self-regulation
Likewise, Teachers who have no control in their classrooms and teachers who restrict their students' autonomy can cause a lack of self-regulation

Causes related to Personal Attributes

Personal attributes that emphasize SRL:
- Sense of self-efficacy, willingness to practice, commitment, time management, metacognitive awareness, and Efficient strategy use (Boekaerts, 1996)
- Students who have self-awareness, self-motivation, and behavioral skills to implement knowledge appropriately (Zimmerman, 2002)
- Students' personal initiative, perseverance, and adoptive skill (Zimmerman, 2002).
- Students' awareness of their strengths and limitations (Zimmerman, 1990)

Personal attributes associated with poor SRL:
- Impulsiveness, low/no academic goals, low self-efficacy, low self-control, and avoidance behavior (Boekaerts, 1996)

Causes related to teaching methods

Performance depends on how the individual “predicts” they will do, and how they “feel” about the task (Efklides, 2001)
Kids have gradual growth in their verbal and mathematical self-efficacy (Zimmerman, 1990)
Students who view acquisition and learning as systematic and controllable processes and take more responsibility for their achievement outcomes have increased self-regulation (Zimmerman, 1990)
Students can be guided by personally set goals and task-related strategies (Zimmerman, 2002)
Self-regulated students focus on how they activate, alter, and sustain specific learning practices in social and solitary contexts, which is important to implement now more than ever (Zimmerman, 2002)

In this comic, Ms. Wormwood explains that motivation and hard work are needed to achieve academic success. Calvin realizes that, in order to get a high-paying job, he must do work he doesn't want to do in school. He lacks the self-regulatory tools and motivation to complete assignments in school, which impacts his future. Teachers often set students' motivation into motion, and Ms. Wormwood attempts to give Calvin some context for his motivation.

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