Héfer Bembenutty (ed.) - Self-Regulated Learning

Foreword

In the days when behaviorism dominated psychological theory, our actions were thought to be strictly controlled by their consequencesrewards and punishments. As cognitive psychology came into play, the individuals role in making choices in terms of long-term goals and short-term goals became evident. As this volume makes evident, self-regulation of learning to minimize costs in energy expenditure and undesirable consequences is a key factor in the effectiveness of ones activities.

Self-regulation of learning is not a familiar concept to many teachers and college instructors, and even researchers often are ignorant of the body of research and theory that has been built up over the last three or four decades since Banduras seminal contributions. As this volume attests, self-regulation of learning is particularly important in postsecondary education, where students need to master their own learning process, often in the absence of parental or insufficient institutional support. In colleges and universities, students need to be proactive learners by initiating behavioral processes, sustaining positive motivational beliefs, and delaying gratification. In postsecondary education, students need to be in charge of their own learning experiences by seeking help from appropriate sources, socializing with mindful peers, and setting and implementing learning strategies or methods designed to attain academic goals.

As it is evident in this volume, teachers and college instructors can instill in their students the importance of self-regulation for achieving goals by creating programs and by imparting instruction in which the students can engage in strategic planning, develop self-efficacy, sustain intrinsic motivation, and monitor their own academic progress. This volume fills an important gap and provides a convenient resource for teachers, college instructors, and researchers to learn the current state of this important field. Students, too, will find this volume to be an accessible guide to their learning.

is professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He is a past president of the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Association of Higher Education, the American Psychological Foundation, the Division of Educational Instruction and School Psychology of the International Association of Applied Psychology, and APAs Divisions 2 and 15.