Self-Regulation Skills of Students Attending a Personalized, Mobile Middle School

In the interest of cultivating a highly skilled 21st century workforce, instructional practices in schools are deviating from more traditional models to student-centered, technology infused practices contingent on intrapersonal skill refinement to self-direct and maximize learning. Situated in adult learning theory, self-directed learners identify learning needs, plan a path to knowledge acquisition, time manage, and evaluate progress and resources during learning experiences. Students can master their own learning process towards self-directedness through the practice of key self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies. However, consistent with research in self-regulation, variations in the sophistication and use of SRL skills can be dependent on the presence of certain student characteristics. The present study will use mixed methods to investigate 27 middle school students’ self-reported ability self-regulate during student-centered instruction in a personalized, mobile school located in a large Southwestern urban gateway city. Pre and post Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) scores reported students’ ability to concentrate, manage time, self-test, and use study aids over a short period of time. Findings indicated the self-testing scale showed a discernible trend in the appropriate direction over a brief period of time though no significance could be found. Implications for the school are discussed and an action plan to bolster the capacity of teachers to support students’ ability to self-regulate learning in a personalized, mobile middle school follows.Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Department o