About Self Regulated Learning Skills

October 4, 2012 by petriniskanen 1 Comment

There is a saying “What you measure is what you get.” I wonder if there are practical (e.g. self test kind of) ways to measure skills that reflect self regulated learning? If you know some, please let me know. Of course I can for example estimate the level of my endurance and ability to keep focus on a work that requires cognitive skills, I can compare the time I need to accomplish similar tasks on a longer time time span to observe my possible progress and I can think about my ability to get to the point when I am reading scientific texts on a foreign language… that’s part of self regulation right? However, it would be interesting to utilize some ready-made measurement, if they exist and usable. Maybe they could give information on my self regulated skills compared to average execution. That might be motivating a bit same way as other runners are in a running event (like marathon event for amateurs).

Another thing that I have been thinking about developing SRL skills is that what personal characteristics might improve or weaken them. It seems evident that good self awareness is one important factor that is linked to good SRL skills. Obviously also general intelligence plays some role. I think that temperament also is involved. It can be described as a natural tendency that tries to lead person’s behaviour. For example I think I am quite talkative. I can control my speech so that I am quiet with other people even longer time. But if I feel “normal me” and I don’t try to resist my tendency to speak I am pretty talkative… I suppose this has to do with temperament. What features of temperament support stronger SRL skills? Or is it just so that for each temperament feature there is the best strategy to learn? If that is true then it would be beneficial to know own temperament accurately and learning strategies that support personal development as well as possible. According to Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen (Finnish psychologist and researcher) temperament consists at least from following parts (I hope I translate them right in English): sensitivity, activity, ability to tolerate interrupts, adaptability, persistence, rhythm (How accurate rhythm a person has in his/her every day life? He/she wakes up always at the same time, goes always to bed at the same time or …), approach/retreat and intensity.

Third thing I have thought is how much strong skills in SRL really can improve learning? Are there any scientific studies or enlightened guesses? It has been said that both intelligence and temperament have been at least partly inherited. I remember for example that Keltikangas-Järvinen has said that tendency to feel stress is strongly inherited feature and that it’s difficult to get rid of it if one has it. It seems obvious that ability to deal with stress sets some boundaries to develop SRL. I think that there also are other boundaries that limit the possibilities to improve personal learning. So, SRL what is your importance in the field of learning?

Finally, this picture describes persistence to me. It’s a flower that is still growing next to our house’s stone base! It’s fascinating to notice  how many living creatures can make it in an ascetic growing environment. This flower has resisted coldness, lack of water (Part of our house roof is top of it, so rain doesn’t reach it so well.) and poor nutrient (The ground underneath is sand.). “The spirit” of the flower (persistence) is one important characteristic that enhances self regulated learning. We should never give up when we have feelings of despair in our learning! There’s always a way to solve challenges in one way or another.