Provide a rich variety of strategies that students can use on academic tasks
To be able to implement strategies for success, students need to know of and understand the different strategies that are available to them.
Share specific information
Providing specific information on strategies will better prepare students to be aware of how, when, and why to apply certain strategies.
Learning from peers
If students engage with their peers through things like discussion and tutoring, strategy use becomes observable. They are able to see what works for other students, which could allow them to practice those strategies themselves and see if it works for them.
Attributing success to the application of a specific strategy
If students believe that the effort of applying a strategy is what helped them improve rather than other factors like ability or luck, they are much more likely to continue to use the strategy in the future.
Academic literacy strategies open the door for larger self-management
Instruction on strategy can later be transferred to other topics. If used for social-emotional learning, it can lead to a more self-regulated approach to learning as a whole.
Embed strategies into daily activities
Embedding strategies into daily activities gives both teachers and students the chance to use them organically! If the activities are structured in a way that implicitly requires students to use them, they will be more likely to approach learning strategies thoughtfully rather than if the strategies felt forced or directed.
Cognitive Engagement:
Create tasks that involve student interests
Give them a sense of ownership of the task at hand
Relate their tasks to life outside of the classroom
Allow collaboration with other students
Set and communicate clear and high expectations
Offer consistent support for students to meet said expectations
Give open ended tasks that promote opportunities for students to make choices, exercise control, set challenging goals, collaborate with others, create personal meaning, and give students a feeling of self-efficacy due to their engagement in the task.
Principles to Apply:
Self-appraisal creates a more knowledgeable understanding of learning
Analyze personal strategies of learning. Compare and contrast those strategies to peers' strategies. This increases personal awareness of different ways of learning.
Evaluate what you know and what you don't know. Understanding where growth needs to happen allows students to prioritize effort allocation.
Make periodic self-assessment a new habit! It promotes progress monitoring, feelings of self-efficacy, and allows for use of repair strategies.
Self-management encourages flexible problem-solving skills
Setting appropriate, challenging, and attainable goals are most effective when set by the student themselves. They should embody a mastery orientation rather than a performance goal.
Manage time and resources through effective planning and monitoring. This aids in setting priorities, overcoming frustration, and persisting until the task is completed.
Reviewing and revising one's learning and approach illustrates helpful self-monitoring strategies.
Self-regulation can be taught in diverse ways
Things like explicit instruction, directed reflection, metacognitive discussions, and participation in practice can be used to teach self-regulation
Promote self-regulation by modeling it for students and creating activities that include reflective analyses of learning.
Assessing, charting, and discussing evidence of personal growth can promote self-regulation.
Self-regulation is woven into the experiences and identity of each individual
Students will often choose to appraise and monitor their behavior is often consistent with their preferred identity
Having an autobiographical perspective of education and learning gives it a sort of narrative framework. This deepens personal awareness of self-regulation
Engaging with reflection, both individually as well as communally, can allow for deeper and more frequent self-regulation habits.