Social Psychology of Education Term Paper

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Academic Studying and Development of Personal Skill: A Self-Regulatory Perspective by Barry I. Zimmerman, discusses the essential role that self-regulation plays in improving the academic performance of students, with the potential of also improving the individual's life throughout his/her development. Self-regulation, defined as "self-generated thoughts, feelings, and actions for attaining academic goals," is a primary tool, according to research, in determining efficacy in student development because it involves "personal initiative, resourcefulness, persistence, and sense of responsibility" -- that is, tools that make for "self-motivation," the catalyst for self-regulation to occur (73).

Thus, Zimmerman conducts this research based on two grounds: (1) there has been little literature on the topic of self-regulation among students, especially when applied in the educational setting; and (2) the potential of self-regulation as the primary determinant that explains a student's academic performance and "learning ability." Using the method of structured and in-depth/focused interviews of students, data collection involved a sample of students, categorized into two groups: the academically successful and regular students. Analysis involved a content analysis of the interviews, where coding and codes are identified based on the dimensions of academic self-regulation, also identified by the author. The research yielded findings that show self-regulation of studying as "multi-dimensional in scope, contextual in its application, and dependent on perceived outcomes" (75). Furthermore, the research also posits that, "self-regulatory approaches for studying may be particularly well-suited to attain... goal of self-education throughout life" (84).

Baseline research prior to conducting the study focused on literature pertinent to the topic of self-regulation in studying.

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Review of related literature centered on identifying the dimensions of academic self-regulation and self-regulatory processes (determined through professional writers, athletes, musicians, and students). Dimensions of self-regulation are identified through basic categories such as determining the motive, method, time, behavior, and physical and social environment involved in self-regulation in studying. These dimensions are appropriately used in the study, since these dimensions effectively characterizes the nature of self-regulation in studying. Furthermore, through these dimensions, the researcher also classifies quantitatively the nature and process that self-regulation undergoes. Take, as an example, how the research quantifies the dimension of "motivation" behind self-regulation in studying. In the study, the researcher classifies "motivation" as either one of the following determinants: goal setting, self-efficacy perceptions, academic values, and attributions. Thus, inclusion of these dimensions (based on previous studies on the topic), allows the researcher to set standard categories that best describes the nature and process of self-regulation quantitatively.

Self-regulatory processes further extend the identification of the dimensions of self-regulation discussed in the first part of the literature of the study. Thus, to quantitatively assess the processes involved in self-regulation, specific examples where included that describe the process of self-regulation, taken from previous interviews by athletes, writers, musicians, and students. These specific examples provide various exemplars of activities that characterize self-regulation in studying. These exemplars are initially qualitative data, converted into quantitative data through categorization (i.e.,….....

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