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Investigating the Longer-Term Impact of the CREST Inquiry-Based Learning Programme on Student Self-regulated Processes and Related Motivations: Views of Students and Teachers
Investigating the Longer-Term Impact of the CREST Inquiry-Based Learning Programme on Student Self-regulated Processes and Related Motivations: Views of Students and Teachers
Julie Moote 0
0 Department of Education, Practice and Society, UCL Institute of Education , London , UK
This study investigates the impact of participation in the CREativity in Science and Technology (CREST) programme on student self-regulated processes and related motivations. The CREST scheme, a student-run science project managed by the British Science Association, is currently being implemented in schools across the UK to increase student engagement and motivation in science. Through implementing a rigorous quasi-experimental research design using two intervention conditions and one control group with immediate as well as 3-month delayed post-test data, the results documented both the immediate and longer-term positive impact of CREST participation on students' self-reported levels of self-regulation. The present study also investigates changes in teachers' perceptions of students' self-regulated learning through CREST programme participation. Group differences regarding changes in student selfreported self-regulation were not matched when looking at the teacher-reported self-regulated learning results at both immediate post-test and delayed post-test. These discrepancies are discussed in relation to analyses conducted on the other motivational constructs measured. Keyword Self-regulation . Motivation . Science . Inquiry . Teacher perceptions The Relevance of Self-regulatory Processes in Science Education
Introduction
Not all classroom-based learning contexts demand the same level and complexity of learning.
The thinking processes necessary for science learning are very different from the thinking
involved in understanding other school subjects
(Dillon 2008; Hodgson and Pyle 2010; Reif
2008)
. Reif argues that one of the main reasons students struggle with learning science is that
they approach their learning as they would everyday knowledge, without appreciating the very
specific and complex nature of science learning. In addition, researchers argue that students
experience difficulty learning science due to the demands placed on them to independently
accumulate vast amounts of knowledge (e.g. De Corte et al. 2004). This underlines the
importance of science students developing abilities to independently control and monitor their
learning.
These self-regulatory processes have become an important topic among educational and
psychological researchers, principally because they have been found to enhance learning
outcomes
(Beishuizen and Steffens 2011)
. Empirical studies have shown the incidence of
poor self-regulation in students today and its impact on academic achievement
(Matthews et al.
2009)
. Researchers have found that the ability to self-regulate the learning process influences
students’ goal setting
(Adey 1992; Schunk 1990)
, increases their focus while performing
academic tasks (Zimmerman 1990), and helps them assess their learning and the effectiveness
of any strategies used
(Cleary and Chen 2009)
. Self-regulatory and metacognitive processes
are not only vital during school scholarship but are also life-long skills that learners can sustain
after graduation and for self-education later in life
(Abdullah and Lee 2007; Boekaerts 1997;
Kaplan 2008; Kistner et al. 2010)
. Given the importance of life-long learning, which is at the
forefront of both general and science-specific educational reforms
(DfE 2013; Green 2003,
2011; Hodson 2003; Orrow-Whiting et al. 2007; Reiss et al. 1999)
, fostering self-regulated
processes remains a primary focus of current research
(Beishuizen and Steffens 2011; Dignath
and Büttner 2008; Kistner et al. 2010; Zimmerman 2002)
.
The growing body of research regarding the benefits of developing students’ self-regulatory
skills in the classroom has also extended to the implications for the field of science as a whole
(Adey 1992; Driver 1989; Driver and Oldham 1986; White and Frederiksen 1998; Velayutham
et al. 2012; Zohar 2004; Zohar and Dori 2012)
. As self-regulated learners in science have the
ability to control and reflect on their learning, they are generally more motivated and personally
interested in the material being studied, show increased academic performance, and are
arguably more likely to provide greater contributions to current scientific knowledge
(Velayutham et al. 2012; Zohar and Dori 2012)
. Together with the downward trends
documented in the literature regarding student interest and motivation in science, most threatened
between the ages of 10 and 14 years, these findings highlight the relevance of studying these
processes in the science subject domain
(Archer et al. 2010; Bennett and Hogarth 2009; George
2000; Ryan and Patrick 2001)
. The specific nature of science learning documented in the
literature further reveals the complexity of this learning a (...truncated)