Influence on Learning

The self-regulation theory holds a significant impact on learning. Some examples of how self-regulation influences learning are: 

Motivation Strategies: Successful students self-regulate their learning and motivation in the classroom or why unsuccessful students fail to self-regulate their learning or motivation processes unless one adopts a systems approach to the study of self-regulated learning. Students must initiate activities that set the scene for learning, assign value to the learning activity, and they must motivate themselves to get started on learning tasks and assignments and sustain effort till the task is completed. Once students can regulate themselves, it makes the task faster and easier to get through to get back to learning. Students who don't, dwell on whatever is blocking their learning will not be able to retain or complete any other work because they are overwhelmed with what they are currently feeling or doing.  

Functioning of the personal level: Functioning of the personal level guides cognitive processing and the amount of effort to be invested in a particular task.

1. If a student predicts they will succeed, when they enter the learning situation, they activate their domain-specific knowledge. If they predict they will succeed because they are good at a topic and feel good because they enjoy the topic, they believe the task is worth the effort.

2. If a student predicts failure because they are not good at a subject or they do not enjoy it, they do not believe it is worth their time or effort. 

3. If a student underestimates the task or demand and overestimates their ability to complete the task, the student feels good and predicts a good outcome, and sets out to solve the problem anticipating little effort expenditure and a successful outcome. The same is possible for the opposite if the student underestimates their ability and overestimates the task.  

Positive and Negative Influences: Students with strong self-regulation strategies are influenced in a positive way to work through what they are feeling and continue learning. Students with little to no self-regulation strategies tend to be influenced in the opposite direction of not completing work or learning information.