Self-regulated learning and study orientation: Results of an intervention project

Method

This study was based on intervention research. The project was developed as a curriculum overlap, in onsite education, with general content, and short term. It was destined to high school and focused on individuals (Ganda and Boruchovitch, 2019).

Results

Quantitative analysis

The classifications were compared using the scores obtained by the students in the two applications of the DASS-21 Scale, pre and post intervention. We observed that of the 35 new students, 12 participants showed a reduction in anxiety scores; 5 presented an increase in anxiety scores, and 18 showed no change in anxiety symptoms. Regarding the sample average anxiety score, a reduction was detected from 20.46 (SD = 9.5) points in the first application to 17.43 (SD = 9.9) in the second.

Another form of analysis used was the JT Method, which compared anxiety scores, respectively, in the pre- and post-intervention assessments. Figure 1 shows the interpretation generated by the program. The 8 points that are located above the upper diagonal line represent the students who showed improvement in anxiety symptoms after the intervention. The 3 points located below the line indicate students who had worsened symptoms. In relation to the other points, which are located between the lines upper and lower to the bisector, it is not possible to say whether there was a worsening or improvement in symptoms. This analysis therefore detected a reliable reduction in anxiety in eight students.

Figure 1Results obtained using the JT method 

Finally, through analysis of variance with repeated measures to compare the results of the DASS-21 in the pre- and post-intervention assessments, considering sex (female and male) as an independent variable, a positive effect of the intervention for anxiety was detected (F (1.33) = 5.860, p = 0.021). This shows that the reduction in the average anxiety score was statistically significant. The interaction between sex and intervention did not show a significant effect.

Discussion

The objective of this study was to evaluate the degree of effectiveness of the intervention project, based on the assumption that the intervention would promote the acquisition of self-regulatory skills in participants and minimize anxiety symptoms.

In general, the results suggest that most of the participating students were successful, especially in the planning phase, defining goals and adopting a weekly list of activities (checklist). This strategy, combined with planned study schedules, proved to be effective in most cases. The reports emphasized improvements in aspects such as “organization” of studies and time management to achieve goals, among others, in line with the literature reports about the planning phase “the student analyzes the task he/she will face, studies the personal and environmental resources necessary to face the task, establishes objectives and plans to achieve the intended goal” (De Araújo Silva and Bizerra, 2022, p. 4-5). In general terms, the results found here are similar to those of recent Brazilian research. In a study with professional high school students, when considering the phases comprised in the self-regulatory process, the greatest evolution of skills was observed in the planning stage (Silva and Bizerra, 2022). Also, in the study by Da Silva and Alliprandini (2020), the level of self-regulated learning in high school was assessed and a high frequency of positive responses was observed in the planning stage.

This study observed that most of the students were also successful during the implementation and evaluation stages, using the monthly planner effectively, for example. Possibly, due to the number of subjects, many have faced difficulties in establishing a routine with fixed subjects to be studied. The reports in the interviews, combined with the researcher's observations, lead us to believe that the majority complied with the planning to a greater or lesser extent, paying attention to aspects such as management of the study environment, identification of difficulties and potentialities and prioritization of activities. The acquisition of skills such as time management and control of aspects of the environment was also noted, which facilitated the achievement of goals, according to the literature (Freire, 2009).

The presence of metacognitive processes is implicit, for example, when a student reported:

By becoming aware of their own cognitive process, students recognize the importance of self-assessment in detecting strengths and weaknesses when learning and this, among other aspects, can help them concentrate or focus on their studies and thus be able to achieve their goals (Silva Xavier et al., 2020).

A maioria dos/as estudantes efetuou esforços reflexivos, no sentido de análise do próprio desempenho e de identificação/enfrentamento das dificuldades, o que vai ao encontro da literatura (Polydoro e Azzi, 2009; Zimmerman, 1998, 2000; Rosário, 2004). A fase de autorreflexão pressupõe processos de auto-observação como, por exemplo, a autocrítica, no sentido de atribuição de causalidade ao próprio desempenho (Zimmerman, 1998, 2000). Quando um estudante afirma, por exemplo, que “mas ainda sou um pouquinho desorganizada com as coisas, com as minhas tarefas, acabo deixando para última hora, às vezes”, evidencia a aquisição de habilidades, nesse sentido: na etapa de autorreflexão, o/a estudante avalia a eficácia das estratégias de aprendizado via automonitoração, para a identificação de discrepâncias entre o resultado obtido e o objetivo inicial, bem como a redefinição de estratégias para a realização de metas.

Most of the students made reflective efforts to analyze their own performance and identify/cope with difficulties, which is in line with the literature (Polydoro and Azzi, 2009; Zimmerman, 1998, 2000; Rosário, 2004). The self-reflection phase presupposes self-observation processes such as self-criticism, in the sense of ascribing causality to one's own performance (Zimmerman, 1998, 2000). When a student states, for example, that “but I'm still a little disorganized with things, with my tasks, I end up leaving it until the last minute, sometimes”, he/she highlights the acquisition of skills since in the self-reflection stage, students evaluate the effectiveness of learning strategies via self-monitoring, to identify discrepancies between the result obtained and the initial objective, as well as redefining strategies to achieve goals (Polydoro and Azzi, 2009).

However, there were exceptions. Procrastination behavior was observed in some participants, that is, the tendency to postpone or delay tasks, which is associated with behaviors that are harmful to learning, such as delaying assignments and reducing study time. This is an illogical postponement, characterizing gaps between intention and action (Brahma and Saikia, 2023). By deviating their attention from school activities, feelings such as tension, fear or worry are momentarily avoided; procrastination can also be a scheme to hide the lack of understanding of certain school content (Sampaio and Bariani, 2011). Procrastination can end up becoming stronger, as it is a behavioral response that allows the avoidance of perceived stressors. When faced with stress, adolescents can use productive coping strategies, such as facing the problem, or resorting to avoidance, diverting attention from the focus of the problem (González and Hernández, 2009). Students with a high degree of self-regulation of learning are less likely to procrastinate studies, while students with low self-regulation tend to procrastinate more (Brahma and Saikia, 2023).

The obstacles faced by some participants in this study might have reduced their motivation to study. It is assumed that the gap in previous content, when combined with factors such as tiredness resulting from traveling to study in another city, family problems, lack of adequate space for studying, among other aspects, have made it difficult for some students to adapt to the new reality. Motivation is considered a crucial factor for learning and permeates the self-regulatory process: “Self-regulation of learning can be developed through the coordination of cognitive, metacognitive and motivational skills” (Basso and Abrahão, 2018, p. 496).

The results seem to suggest the act of procrastinating by some of the participating students and/or factors that interfere with their motivation made self-regulation and learning difficult, leading to more procrastination and demotivation, resulting in a vicious circle. Possibly, this is a bidirectional association. It is possible that the intervention was not effective in promoting self-regulation and minimizing procrastination or demotivation in some students. Therefore, we recognize that in these cases, longer interventions would be necessary.

As regards anxiety symptoms, the initial hypothesis was partially confirmed, both by comparing the scores for each case individually and by applying the JT Method. Furthermore, the difference between the mean scores on the DASS-21 anxiety factor (pre and post intervention) was significant. Considering the group of students who participated in the intervention project, a reduction in the average level of anxiety was noted. These factors suggest the possibility of a positive effect of the intervention.

It is essential to pay attention to variables that may have interfered in the students' performance when filling out the DASS-21 and/or in their academic adaptation. The year when the study was developed, 2022 is considered atypical since those teenagers entered high school in the period immediately after the pandemic. There is evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health problems in adolescents and/or the general population (Vazquez et al., 2022). Furthermore, the intervention took place between June and November 2022, and during part of this period some of the free afternoons were used for extracurricular activities, reducing the time that students had to dedicate to studying.

These and other variables may have caused overload and stress in students in the final phase of this project, influencing their level of anxiety. In addition, the second application of the DASS-21 took place in November, the period in which students were having their final school tests. It is important to consider the construct of test anxiety and its association with self-regulatory processes (Rosário et al., 2004; Shih, 2019). The literature suggests that test anxiety symptoms, at moderate levels, can even contribute to self-regulation; while high levels of anxiety before assessments can harm academic performance (Rosário et al., 2004). New studies on the subject, under different intervention formats and considering the role of intervening variables, could contribute to the understanding of this matter.

Os resultados deste trabalho como um todo vão ao encontro do que prevê a literatura, quanto ao papel da escola em promover a autorregulação (Frison, 2016; Ganda e Boruchovitch, 2018). Há um consenso no sentido de que as instituições escolares deveriam incorporar o ensino de habilidades autorregulatórias ao cotidiano das aulas. Docentes podem incluir o ensino de habilidades dessa natureza durante as aulas (González e Hernández, 2009; Rosário et al., 2004).

The results of this work as a whole are in line with what the literature regarding the role of schools in promoting self-regulation (Frison, 2016; Ganda and Boruchovitch, 2018). There is a consensus that school institutions should incorporate the teaching of self-regulatory skills into everyday classes. Teachers can include the teaching of skills of this nature in their lessons (González and Hernández, 2009; Rosário et al., 2004).

The individual study orientation guided by the theoretical framework of self-regulation of learning, carried out by the researcher, proved to be an efficient way of helping students. The data gathered during the interviews, combined with the researcher's observations during the sessions, revealed that most of the students were successful in aspects such as analyzing the set of tasks required by the course, verifying which strategies are most effective in achieving the expected results, and evaluating progress in relation to learning, among others. Furthermore, they also understood the need to adjust the planning, whenever needed. It was possible to verify that when stimulated, most of the participants reflected on the proposed situation, according to their possibilities at the moment, their individuality and considering their life history.

The set of results therefore shows that most of the participants acquired relevant skills for their self-regulatory process at different levels and that the interventions favored students' academic adaptation to a greater or lesser extent in most cases.

However, the study has some limitations such as the small sample size, which did not allow the generalization of the results. Another limitation was that the students’ free time was relatively limited. Therefore, further research should be carried out with a larger sample population and with a greater frequency of consultations to expand understanding of the subject.