Challenges in Fostering Self-Regulation in a High-Poverty Elementary School

• In Event: 61.085 - The Importance of Self-Regulation in Challenging Learning Environments

Abstract

Self-regulation has been well-established as a key determinant of a child’s academic success; however, children living in poverty face specific barriers to developing SR. It is therefore critical for educators, particularly those in schools serving impoverished communities, to foster self-regulation in their classrooms. During the first year of our teacher-centered SR intervention at a high poverty elementary school, we discovered that, even when teachers express interest in fostering SR, enabling them to do so effectively is no simple endeavor. In large part, this is due to existing practices, beliefs, and conditions that are at odds with the research-supported approaches our program advocates. It is these tensions that our research explores, as a first step toward overcoming them.

Authors

• Stacy L. DeZutter, Millsaps College

• Kala Taylor