Developing self-regulated learning (SRL) among students, encompassing cognitive, motivational, and emotional aspects, enhances their capacity for observation, reflection, and, ultimately, autonomy. The promotion of students’ self-regulated learning plays a pivotal role in addressing the challenges of education’s future, as outlined in the ECER 2025 theme of charting the way forward. As noted by Zimmerman (2002, p. 65) from the SRL perspective, “learning is viewed as an activity that students do for themselves in a proactive way”, a notion that is especially important in an era marked by rapid technological advancements and shifting educational demands. This aligns with the idea that educational research should foster deeper understanding and practical solutions through the development of adaptable learning strategies. Furthermore, SRL encourages active engagement and reflection, enabling students to navigate the uncertainties of the modern world. By integrating SRL into educational practices, research can promote not only academic achievement but also personal well-being, responding to the broader societal challenges identified in educational debates. Panadero (2017) discussed the educational implications of promoting students’ SRL, emphasizing the importance of creating environments that guide students’ actions toward learning. This research explores the development of SRL among secondary school students, focusing on the effectiveness of a peer observation-based intervention, designed as part of the WAY Project (https://lead.uab.pt/way-en/about-project-way/). The WAY Project involves a team of researchers from three Portuguese universities and four Portuguese public schools, who have partnered throughout the entire process. The project utilizes the Design-Based Research (DBR) methodology (Ponte et al., 2016; Nobre et al., 2017). Our primary goal is to evaluate the impact of the three-year WAY Project, implemented in Portuguese schools, on students’ SRL.

In this presentation proposal, we adopt a longitudinal approach, specifically a panel study design (Tuckman & Harper, 2012), to evaluate the impact of the intervention over three years, spanning two academic years. The study involves an experimental group of 82 students who participated in pre- and post-intervention assessments. By collecting repeated measures before, during, and after the intervention, the research aims to provide robust insights into the sustained effects of the program. The intervention integrates peer observation practices to foster student engagement and feedback mechanisms, which are anticipated to contribute significantly to the development of self-regulated learning (SRL) across multiple dimensions highlighted in the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) subscales (Pintrich et al., 1993; Morais et al., 2025, in press). The MSLQ was administered to this group of 82 students at three key points: at the beginning and end of the 2023/24 school year (data already collected) and will be administered again at the end of the 2024/25 school year. Our primary goal is to evaluate the impact of the three-year WAY Project, implemented in Portuguese schools, on students’ SRL using a quantitative self-reported measure composed of 15 dimensions. Our research hypotheses focus on three subscales: students who observe their peers’ performance of tasks in the classroom and later provide feedback will acquire more cognitive and metacognitive strategies (H1), resource management strategies (H2), and higher levels of motivation (H3) compared to their peers in the control group.

The final results are not yet available, as the last phase of data collection is scheduled for May 2025. However, by the time of the conference presentation, all data will have been collected and analyzed. As a result, we aim to deepen the analyses conducted during the first year of data collection, validate our research hypotheses, and expand our understanding of how pedagogical strategies influence the development of self-regulated learning (SRL) in secondary school students. Furthermore, we seek to contribute to the broader discussion on the potential of innovative teaching methodologies to foster autonomy and active engagement in learning processes at this educational level.

Morais, E., Santos, A. C. & Mouraz, A. (in press). Translation, validation and proposal of a short version of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) for adolescent students in Portuguese schools. Front. Educ. Volume 10 – 2025. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1445548 Nobre, A., Mallmann, E., Mazzardo, M., & Martin-Fernandes, I., (2017) Princípios teórico-metodológico de design based research (DBR) na pesquisa educacional tematizada por Recursos Educacionais Abertos (REA). Revista SanGregorio, ISSN 2228-7907 Panadero E. (2017). A Review of Self-regulated Learning: Six Models and Four Directions for Research. Front. Psychol. 8:422. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00422 Pintrich, P. R., Smith, D. A. F., Garcia, T., & Mckeachie, W. J. (1993). Reliability and Predictive Validity of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (Mslq). Educational and Psychological Measurement, 53(3), 801–813. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164493053003024 Ponte, J. P. da, Carvalho, R., Mata-Pereira, J., & Quaresma, M. (2016). Investigação baseada em design para compreender e melhorar as práticas educativas. Quadrante, 25(2), 77–98. https://doi.org/10.48489/quadrante.22934 Tuckman, B. W., & Harper, B. E. (2012). Conducting educational research (6th ed.). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: An overview. Theory Into Practice, 41(2), 64–70. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4102_2