Preservice Teachers' Belief Systems With Respect to Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) and Effects on SRL Practices

• In Event: 66.084 - Teachers' Beliefs and Practices With Respect to Teaching for Self-Regulated Learning

Abstract

The research investigates pre-service teachers’ beliefs about the self-regulation of learning in the context of their more general belief systems about learning and teaching. Teachers’ educational belief systems include subjective theories of learning and teaching, of intelligence and of the epistemic nature of knowledge. They influence motivational states, such as goal orientation and perceptions of self-efficacy and serve as guides for self-regulatory behavior. Such belief systems can hold contradictory beliefs making it difficult to determine how particular beliefs influence instruction.

An instrument was developed to measure pre-service teachers’ beliefs. The participants were 429 pre-service teachers. Confirmatory factor analysis validated the hypothesized measurement model which consisted of five correlated factors – constructive learning, constructive teaching, traditional learning, traditional teaching and SRL positive impact. A structural model based on the hypothesized causal relations between the latent factors showed a good fit to the data. The model showed highly significant direct and indirect effects from constructive learning and teaching to beliefs in the value of SRL.

While the results confirmed previous research and theoretical models showing the importance of constructive beliefs about learning and teaching on beliefs about SRL, the closer investigation of the pre-service teachers’ belief systems revealed uncertainty as to whether SRL is the best way to promote student achievement. Despite high agreement with statements indicating constructive beliefs about learning and teaching, the preservice teachers also agreed with statements expressing traditional, transmissive, views about teaching. One possibility that warrants further investigation is that pre-service teachers believe that both teaching for subject matter knowledge and for SRL are important, but that teaching for subject matter knowledge is much more important than the explicit promotion of SRL. This interpretation is consistent with the findings of research on practicing teachers which shows that although teachers generally agree that students’ SRL ability impacts their academic progress, they report that they do not have enough time to teach the content of the curriculum as well as learning skills. The pre-service teachers also expressed mixed beliefs about learning – i.e., whether learning is something that happens naturally or a skill that can be taught. Beliefs that learning is innate ability are inconsistent with the promotion of SRL.The co-existence of these powerful yet potentially incompatible beliefs suggests possible directions for explaining why SRL strategies are not more widely used in classrooms.

The research identifies areas that need to be addressed in teacher education programs in order to improve SRL knowledge and practices in pre-service teachers. We argue that initial teacher education and professional development programs need to find ways to effectively address teachers’ often conflicting belief systems regarding learning and teaching and about the self-regulation of learning.

Authors

• Stella Vosniadou, The Flinders University of South Australia

• Michael J. Lawson, Flinders University

• Mirella Wyra

• Penny Van Deur, Flinders University

• David Jeffries, Flinders University