This foundational course introduces educators to the science of self-regulated learning – the process by which students learn to take ownership of their learning through purposeful planning, monitoring and reflection. You’ll explore how students can be empowered to become their own teachers by managing their motivation, attention, behaviour and learning strategies across tasks and time.
Through research-informed insights, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how self-regulation develops, how it varies across learners, and how teachers can create the right conditions to nurture it in classrooms. The course unpacks practical classroom strategies to support students in building habits of effective learning, persistence and self-evaluation.
You’ll also examine the role of metacognition – the ability to guide one’s own thinking – as one key component of self-regulation. This includes identifying common metacognitive errors, recognising when students are misjudging their understanding or effort, and helping them to develop more accurate self-assessment and reflective practices.
Key concepts:
- core components of self-regulated learning – what it is and why it’s important to learn
- the development and variability of self-regulation across age groups
- the brain-science behind self-regulated learning, including the role of executive function in learning
- common student challenges in self-regulating learning and how to address them
- metacognition as a supporting process for accurate self-evaluation
- how to avoid metacognitive blunders in the classroom
- how to apply the principles of self-regulated learning to improve educational outcomes.
By the end of the course, educators will be able to apply these principles in real-world settings, fostering more engaged, reflective and successful learners.
