Examining How Teachers Use Tasks, Practices, and Interpersonal Interactions to Support Children’s Self-Regulation in Classrooms

• In Event: Researching Self- and Coregulated Learning as Situated in Contexts: Implications for Theory, Research, and Practice

Abstract

Objectives
We present findings from a larger project examining relationships between opportunities for and engagement in self-regulation in classrooms. Here we focus on observational data revealing how elementary school teachers use tasks, instructional practices and interpersonal interactions to support three forms of self-regulation in their classrooms: emotion regulation (ER), self-regulated learning (SRL), and socially responsible self-regulation (SRSR).

Perspectives
Research is accumulating evidence about how teachers support children’s SRL by presenting opportunities to engage in complex tasks, make meaningful choices, exert control over challenge, and collaborate with peers, and by providing instrumental support for SRL through, for example, non-threatening evaluation practices and creating communities of learners (Perry et al., 2002). Less research is available about how teachers support other forms of self-regulation for learning, such as ER (applying self-regulatory processes to cope with affect; Eisenberg & Spinrad, 2004), and SRSR (recognizing and effectively using opportunities to give and receive targeted, instrumental support; Wentzel, Filisetti, & Looney, 2007), even though developmental research has demonstrated the critical role of ER and social competence in young children’s adjustment to and success in school (Diamond et al., 2007). Also, research on children’s uptake of opportunities for self-regulation is relatively understudied (Turner & Patrick, 2008). In this study, we address these limitations.

Methods & Results
Seventeen classrooms (kindergarten to grade 2) participated in the larger study. In this poster, we describe how four teachers, whose practices reflect differential emphases on ER, SRL, and SRSR, created opportunities for and engagement in self-regulation in their classrooms. Evidence comes from observations revealing what SRL promoting practices teachers used (e.g., complex tasks, choices, collaboration) and whether/how these practices also prompted ER and SRSR.

Overall, results indicated SRL promoting tasks, instructional practices, and interpersonal interactions can also support ER and SRSR when teachers also emphasize these forms of self-regulation (i.e., make a task about them or recognize when scaffolding is needed for them). For example, one kindergarten teacher implemented a complex task that involved children in constructing volcanoes and carrying out a volcano experiment. She embedded opportunities for children to make choices, control challenge, self-evaluate, and seek support from peers. Children were observed engaging in ER—managing potential frustration—when they chose to illustrate versus write about their learning. Evidence of SRSR was revealed in the way students resolved disagreements when working collaboratively (e.g., taking turns to use shovels and build the volcano). The teacher scaffolded ER and SRSR through questions (e.g., “If we’re not using the shovel, can someone else use it?”) and hints (e.g., “We can [say] ‘I don’t like it when…’ ”). In this classroom, the teacher balanced attention to ER, SRL, and SRSR. This was not the case in all classrooms. Our poster will describe contrasting cases (e.g., some teachers emphasized regulation of emotions and social interactions more or less than SRL).

Significance
Researchers and practitioners are recognizing the importance of supporting self-regulation in elementary aged children. This makes our classroom-based research, which links teachers’ practices to learning outcomes, important and timely.

Authors

• Lynda Ruth Hutchinson, The University of British Columbia

• Nancy E. Perry, The University of British Columbia