Introducing a self-regulated learning model into the Key Stage 3 classroom

SOPHIE APPELQVIST, ENGLISH TEACHER, THE LADIES’ COLLEGE, GUERNSEY

Classroom teachers appreciate the importance of independent work. But, practically, how do you improve the independent skills of a class? I was teaching a relatively small group of engaged and enthusiastic students, in a school where behavioural issues are minimal and expectations are high. However, my students struggled to complete work without constant teacher intervention. I set out to develop a self-regulated learning model, bespoke to my class, to develop their independence.

While researching ways in which to increase independence, it is unsurprising that my reading led me to multiple papers on metacognition and self-regulated learning (SRL). The importance of ‘thinking about thinking’ (Flavell, 1976) has become a cornerstone of modern teaching. In fact, searches for metacognition and SRL continue to increase on the Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) website; this is unsurprising when we consider the EEF’s guidance report, which indicates that the use of ‘metacognitive strategies’ within the classroom can be worth the equivalent of an additional seven months’ progress (EEF, 2021).

Zimmerman defines SRL as the processes that learners use to ‘activate and sustain cognitions, affects and behaviours’ (Schunk and Zimmerman, 1998). Within Zimmerman’s three-stage models, students must work through a preparatory stage (forethought), experience volitional/performance control and finally undergo a phase of self-reflection, reviewing their success against the goals that they have previously set. Zimmerman continues to fine-tune his theories on SRL, testing the validityIn assessment, the degree to which a particular assessment measures what it is intended to measure, and the extent to which proposed interpretations and uses are justified of his studies and developing three separate theories of self-regulation throughout his career (Schunk and Zimmerman, 1998; Zimmerman, 2000, 2013). The enduring principles of Zimmerman’s research and models demonstrate their continued relevance within the classroom, and yet these models simply were not fit for my purpose. I decided to create my own simplified SRL model. Largely inspired by the theory of Zimmerman, I designed a four-part model, simplified in structure and language to better suit my learners. I created Think, Speak, Bubble, Do. The Think phase focuses on metacognitive thinking; I introduced exemplar questions into my classroom through a display board and modelled discussions. The display board also allowed for greater visualisation, an area that I knew to be important when implementing change (EEF, 2021). Questions included: What do I recognise? What is new to me? How does this link to something that I’ve done before? What questions do I have? We routinely held whole-class and paired discussion based around these types of questions, which formed the Speak phase of my model. To evaluate our level of understanding, I ensured that every activity was preceded by a mind-map (Bubble phase), allowing students to explore their current level of understanding in a low-stakes activity. Students were then able to cycle back to either Think or Speak, dependent on the success of their plan. These activities were finally followed by our Do phase – the task itself. After extended pieces of writing, I incorporated DIRT (directed improvement thinking time) into my lesson plans to encourage further reflection, a crucial stage in Zimmerman’s cyclical structures (Schunk and Zimmerman, 1998).

Mind-mapping and class discussion are a cornerstone of the teaching of English; therefore, students found the new SRL model familiar. They enjoyed talking through problems and thinking aloud. They were open to class modelling of each phase and practising the areas that they could identify as a learning gap. Students familiarised themselves with the language of SRL and began to use this language themselves. Students grew in confidence, worked for longer stretches of time and asked either fewer or more specific questions. To assess the success of my SRL model, I set students a writing task. I compared this to a baseline assessmentWhen referring to early years education, a measurement of a child’s performance conducted within a few weeks of them starting school in Reception, with a focus on literacy and numeracy. that students had completed before I had embedded the SRL model.

The frequency of student questioning reduced and questions that were asked became more specific. For example, students asked ‘Is this an example of personification or a metaphor?’, demonstrating that they were thinking before asking. Low-level disruption and student confidence also improved; the students were happy to write and felt proud of themselves for doing so. Incidentally, the group’s grades also improved. On average, a grade improvement of 1.9 was made by the class; at the highest end, students made three marks of progress.

So, did introducing a simplified SRL model into my Key Stage 3 classroom improve independent learning? Yes. But more than that, it improved the confidence, resilience and motivation of my students. Embedding this system certainly wasn’t a quick fix; it was based on hours of research and planning, and took two months to implement in the classroom. However, now that the skills are embedded, they continue to support the students and have made subsequent tasks more manageable and more successful. I hope that this model will have a long-term impact on my students’ independent skills and my own classroom pedagogy, but time will tell. In the meantime, I’m at least grateful to have fewer questions to answer.