The ability to independently plan, monitor, reflect, and – if necessary – adjust one’s own learning processes is of increasing relevance, particularly in the 21^st century knowledge societies such as the European ones. If the aim is to prepare our students for a life beyond school, a solely teacher-based transfer of knowledge is no longer sufficient. This idea implies the need for the continuous acquisition of new capabilities and knowledge by individuals, in the sense of lifelong learning (Commission of the European Communities, 2000). The important ability to constantly adopt skills and knowledge should already be stimulated at school by providing students with opportunities to learn in a self-regulated way.

This paper outlines a planned study on self-regulation in order to put its design, its key constructs, and instruments up for discussion.

The study aims at developing and empirically testing (1) an innovative model of “good teacher actions” in self-regulated learning settings, and (2) areas of competence in students which facilitate learning in self-regulated teaching scenarios (self-regulatory competence).

Previous studies on the quality of instruction have mainly focused on “traditional” learning environments characterized by a relatively low degree of student autonomy (Klieme, 2002; Prenzel & Allolio-Näcke, 2006). In consequence, learning environments within this study will provide students with a high level of autonomy.

Although self-regulatory competence has been investigated in previous research, most studies focused on developing and evaluating trainings to enhance this competence (Landmann & Schmitz, 2007; Perels, et al., 2009). Hence, there is little empirical evidence about the effective components of self-regulatory competence that shape student actions in self-directed environments.

Boekaerts (1999) introduced a three-layer model of self-regulatory learning in which each layer is associated with a specific set of learner’s predispositions and skills necessary for conducting self-regulated learning actions. Zimmerman (2000, 2001) proposed a theory of self-regulation in which structural aspects of self-regulation are depicted in detail.  Furthermore, Zimmerman (2000, 2002) described a process model of self-regulated learning in which the learning process is divided into three successive phases: forethought, performance, and self-reflection. This model was further differentiated by Schmitz (2001). From this theoretical framework, a set of skills and psychological dispositions can be derived (e.g., attribution, goal-setting), which are expected to enable students to perform well in autonomous learning environments. In this study these skills and dispositions are labeled “self-regulatory competence”.

The study strives to identify variables that are components of self-regulatory competence, revealed by their high prediction of variance in students’ learning processes and outcomes. Efficient support of student learning necessarily implies that teachers are able to identify their students’ individual needs. Thus, it is also the focus of the study to develop and evaluate a training, which provides teachers with the means to appropriately support their students in autonomous learning environments.

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