Putting self-regulated learning and teaching into practice: insights from two science teachers and their students
As education systems confront the growing need for autonomous learners, the requirement from teachers to exhibit self-regulated learning and teaching (SRL&T) abilities intensifies. However, research investigating teachers’ roles as mentors for their students’ self-regulated learning (SRL), particularly regarding teachers’ SRL&T within schools, remains limited. Our research examines the relationship between teachers’ progression in SRL&T and the consequent impact on their students’ SRL. We emphasized reflection as the crucial skill that serves to enhance both teachers’ professional development and students’ SRL. We investigated two science teachers and 101 of their 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade students using a mixed-methods approach. We extracted themes and categories related to teachers’ perceptions of SRL&T change while implementing SRL&T in their classes, as well as their students’ reflection levels. A specially developed rubric helped determine the teachers’ assessment knowledge and reflection levels as expressed in their online assignments. Findings indicate a parallel progression in teachers’ SRL&T proficiency and students’ reflective capacities. Teachers’ efficacy in implementing SRL&T depended on the development of their understanding of SRL and their autonomy in designing the SRL-enriched modules. The study contributes both theoretically, by elucidating teachers’ role in fostering SRL&T, and methodologically, by introducing a novel approach for analysing reflections of teachers and students.