Trajectories and Outcomes of First-Year College Students' Self-Regulation

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 3
  In Poster Session: Topics in Higher Education

Abstract

Although researchers have progressed in their understanding of interindividual differences in students’ self-regulation for learning, few have focused on how self-regulation changes over time, particular during key academic transitions. The purpose of this study was to investigate trajectories of self-regulation during the first year of college and their relationship with academic achievement. First, we cross-sectionally examined group differences in self-regulation by gender, first-generation status, and ethnicity. We then examined trends using latent growth modeling. Students’ self-regulation increased over time, but trajectories differed by demographic status. Students’ initial self-regulation level and change over time were significantly related to cumulative GPA at the end of the first year. Implications for supporting first-year college students’ self-regulated learning are discussed.

Authors

• Jaeyun Han, University of Kentucky

• Xiao-Yin Chen

• Ellen L. Usher, University of Kentucky

• Christia Spears Brown, University of Kentucky