Self Regulated Learning and Academic Achievement: An Overview

Barry Zimmerman

This article was about what causes a person to be a self regulated learner from a psychological stand point. Zimmerman defines a Self Regulated Learner (SRL) as someone who “seeks out needed information, and knows what they are capable of doing and seek ways around any obstacle such as confusing teachers or obscure text books“. SRL learners set goals and they are organized in their studies and are self motivated to study and are the best person they can be.

One of the best techniques of a self regulated learner is the “self oriented feedback loop”. This is a system where the person will set strategies, and work through them to see if they work or not. Through this system the person can find the best system for them to learn the most possible amount of information. Zimmerman conducted a survey to see what high school students encounter while trying to study for a class. Most of the students who were not self regulated learners said that they had more interesting things to do, like friends or TV. The reason most students with average grades are not self regulated learners is not because of lack of want, but because of lack of know how. They do not know the skills to use to motivate themselves to learn on their own.

Another study done by Zimmerman said that children under the age of 7 were proactive learners. They wanted to go to school to learn all that they could, and were naive and overly optimistic about their ability to learn. And as students got older and reached high school they started to realize that effort alone will not always mean success.