Activity 6.4: Self-Regulation and Metacognition

Activity 6.4: Self-Regulation and Metacognition

Video: (Metacognition) Beliefs That Make You Fail ... Or Succeed 

(This is the first in a series of five videos for students on how to study effectively, by Dr. Stephen Chew, cognitive psychologist, Samford University.)

I read “Becoming a Self-Regulated Learner: An Overview,” by Barry J. Zimmerman (2002). Self-regulation “is the self-directive process by which learners transform their mental abilities into academic skills … refers to self-generated thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are oriented to attaining goals” (2002/2000, p. 65). Zimmerman describes three phases of the self-regulatory processes, which refer to the processes and beliefs one engages in before (Forethought), during (Performance), and after (Self-Reflection) each learning effort.

Zimmerman argues, teachers need to teach self-regulatory processes so children can learn on their own. Is not the point of self-regulating, that for each learning task, one develop, adapt and/or modify the process which works best for that individual? This process follows the constructivist theory of learning in that when faced with  new information, such as errors or failures in our self-regulatory processes, or disequilibrium, we must adapt and organized this data and either assimilate it or accommodate (modify) until we reach equilibrium, when our self-regulatory processes lead to achieving our goals.

James Lang (2012), in“Metacognition and Student Learning,” quotes Stephen Chew, "Poor metacognition is a big part of incompetence … People who are incompetent typically do not realize how incompetent they are” (Retrieved, printed, p. 3). I have the opposite problem in the sense that I am more competent, but have less confidence, due to deep rooted insecurities growing up in a household full of ‘would be’ geniuses, which results in my over, rather than under achieving behaviors in graduate school. This leads to much anxiety, stress and a tendency towards perfectionism, on my part, as Dr. Usher well knows.