Progress Self-Monitoring: Effects on Children's Self-Efficacy and Achievement

This experiment investigated the effects of progress self-monitoring on children's achievement and percepts of self-efficacy in the context of mathematical competency development. Children lacking subtraction skills received didactic instruction in subtraction and practice opportunities. Some children (self-monitoring) monitored their own progress after each training session, whereas others (external monitoring) had their progress monitored by an adult. A third group received no monitoring. Results showed that self- and external monitoring led to significantly higher percepts of efficacy, skill, and persistence compared with no monitoring. The two progress monitoring conditions did not differ significantly on these measures. The utility of self-monitoring procedures in actual classrooms is discussed