Using a Strategy Project to Promote Self-Regulated Learning Hillary H. Steiner, Ph.D. Department of First-Year and Transition Studies Kennesaw State University Lorraine S. Gilpin Travel Award Recipient 2017 USG Regents’ SoTL Award Recipient USG SoTL Mentor

Origins of the Project Inspired by a similar project by M. Simpson and S. Nist at University of Georgia; they in turn had been inspired by other projects Created to enable students to practice the most important skills a college student needs Perfect for the first-year seminar, but adaptable for many courses

The Strategy Project Assignment Worth 30% of semester grade Accompanied by instruction in how to use each of the strategies and the cognitive basis for using these strategies. Students should know how to use strategies but also why to use them (Steiner, 2014)

Theoretical Framework Self-regulating strategies are predictors of academic success (Pintrich & DeGroot, 1990; Kitsantas, 2002). To achieve mastery, strategies must be deliberately practiced (Ericsson, 1996). For best effect, strategies must be deliberately practiced in a contextualized setting that is valuable to the student (Simpson, Hynd, Nist, & Burrell, 1997). This deliberate practice can help students become metacognitive, self-regulated learners.

Study #1 Steiner, H.H. (2016). The strategy project: Promoting self-regulated learning through an authentic assignment. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 28 (2), 271-282. Methodology: Four instructors assigned the strategy project in their first-year seminar during Fall 2013 Students’ reflection papers (N=86) were coded for themes Grade improvement reports (N=76) were analyzed via descriptive stats

Study #1: Qualitative Findings Topic Emerging theme Task value Students viewed this assignment as helpful. Students viewed this assignment as worth the time commitment. High-school to college transition Students expected a higher work load upon entering college. Students were overconfident in their strategies based on high school successes. Despite overconfidence, many students were fearful about their first college exams, not knowing what to expect. Students reported little studying and time management activities in high school. Students recognized after the first exam that new strategies would be necessary. Students were not willing to attempt this change in strategies on their own. Changes in strategy use Students were initially disinterested in the strategy project assignment. Students, especially those who reported enjoying some of the more difficult strategies, displayed emerging metacognition and an understanding of why some strategies worked while others did not. Students had mixed responses to most of the individual strategies, but the plan of study and professor interaction were universally well-liked. Changes in achievement and self-efficacy Students reported increased test grades in their chosen courses. Students reported increased confidence in their test-taking abilities. Long-term benefits Students reported permanent changes in their study and time-management strategies. Students reported a recognition of the value of effort in preparing for exams.

Study #1: Grade Improvements

Current Study: Methodology RQ: Are first-year seminar students more likely to show evidence of metacognition and self-regulation after completing the strategy project? Students (N=51) in my two sections of KSU 1101 were given pre- and post-assessments: Modified MSLQ (Pintrich & DeGroot, 1990) Strategy use self-report

About the Students All were first-semester, full-time, traditional-age students (mean age: 18) Ethnicity: Gender: African-American 11.5% Asian 3.8% Hispanic White (Caucasian) 65.4% Other 1.9% No Response 5.8% Female 53.8% Male 42.3% Other 0% No Response 3.8%

Current Study: Results A Wilcoxon Signed Rank test revealed a statistically significant pre- and post-test difference on the total scores of MSLQ questions pertaining to metacognitive self-regulation, z = -2.757, p < .01, with a fairly large effect size (r = .40) The most significant difference in this subscale was found on the following questions: When reading for this course, I make up questions to help focus my reading. I ask myself questions to make sure I understand the material I have been studying in my course. I try to change the way I study in order to fit the course requirements and the instructor’s teaching style. I often find that I have been reading for this course but don’t know what it was all about.

Current Study: Results A series of Related-Samples McNemar’s Tests revealed statistically significant differences for the following pre- and post- self-reported strategies: Textbook annotations (active reading)* Flashcards*** Charts, diagrams or concept maps** Group Studying* Self-Quizzing** No significant differences were found for these strategies: Textbook reading (passive reading) Re-reading class notes Completing practice problems Taking notes in class *p < .05 ** p < .01 ***p < .001

Current Study: Discussion Students made gains in metacognition and self-regulation as measured by the MSR subscale of MSLQ More students reported using metacognitive strategies to study, especially strategies involving self-quizzing and good reading behaviors Students did not always “dump” their old strategies

Future Directions Fall 2017: Large-Scale Study of Strategy Project will replicate this study with ~200 students, several different instructors Instructors will be provided professional development to learn how to teach study skills and theoretical foundations What other ways can we promote metacognition in the classroom?

References Ericsson, K. A. (1996). The acquisition of expert performance: An introduction to some of the issues. In K. A. Ericsson (Ed.), The road to excellence: The acquisition of expert performance in the arts and sciences, sports, and games (pp. 1–50). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Kitsantas, A. (2002). Test preparation and test performance: A self-regulatory analysis. Journal of Experimental Education, 41, 231–240. Pintrich, P. R., & DeGroot, E. V., (1990). Motivational and self-regulated learning components of classroom academic performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82(1), 33-40. Simpson, M. L., Hynd, C. R., Nist, S. L., & Burrell, K.I. (1997). College academic assistance programs and practices. Educational Psychology Review, 9(1), 39-71.