Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Success : A Self-management Approach

 GI      $

20 CHAPTER 1

Comments:

HOW CAN I CHANGE MY BEHAVIOR?

Zimmerman et al. (1996) suggested a process that students can use to

develop the self-management skills necessary for academic success (see

Fig. 1.1). This process will help you develop control over the six com-

ponents of motivation and behavior identified in the previous section.

Self-management involves the four interrelated processes defined here:

Self-observation and evaluation occur when students judge

their personal effectiveness, often from observations and

recordings of prior performances and outcomes.

Each semester, students come into my office to discuss a poor per-

formance on an examination. They tell me they were prepared for the

examination because they read each chapter two or three times. Obvi-

ously, these students have not learned to check their understanding. Baker

(1989) referred to this situation as the illusion of knowing. Students often

Self-Observation

and Evaluation

Strategic-Outcome Goal Setting and

Monitoring Strategic Planning

Strategic Implementation

and Monitoring

FIG. 1.1. A process for self-management of academic behavior (adapted

from Zimmerman et al., 1996).