Learning to learn: teachers' opportunities to develop pupils' learning strategies

One of the more emphasized roles of the primary school curricular reform in Slovenia is training pupils how to learn. One of the ways to encourage the individual's process of learning is to introduce reading learning strategies to pupils. This master's thesis presents a class project »We're learning to learn«, conducted in two fifth grade classes. The project was carried out as an action research in an experimental group (class 5. b) in school year 2008/09. The starting point of the learning to learn assignment were key competence skills for lifelong learning (Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning (2006/962/EC)), and the Strategy on lifelong learning in the Republic of Slovenia, which gave the teachers the assignment to teach the pupils to learn (Jelenc, 2007). In the process of implementing the project, a pupil’s active role in the studying process was developed, and options to develop pupils’ learning strategies were described. Complex reading learning strategies and graphic organizers were highlighted among the learning strategies (Pečjak and Gradišar, 2012). The theoretical part of this thesis is based on the key learning-to-learn competence for lifelong learning (Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council) and self-regulatory learning. To place the strategies into a broader concept they were linked to self-regulatory learning, which leads to “knowing to learn” competence. Among the theories explaining self-regulatory learning the social-cognitive theory based on the four-component model of self-regulatory learning by Hofer, Yu and Pintrich (Pečjak in Gradišar, 2012) was chosen. The thesis presents the project of introducing reading learning strategies by implementing three sets of elements of self-regulatory learning (cognitive, metacognitive and motivational) and by changing the pupil’s role into an active creator of his/her own studying. The theoretical part presents an analysis and comparison of technical and scientific articles of various authors, who dealt with learning to learn strategies and options for evolving the pupils’ reading learning strategies, with the emphasis on self-regulatory learning. In the section on the teacher introducing changes during action research there is a reference made to the experimental part of the thesis, which describes the course and the results of the two-step field trial of reading learning strategies implementation. Both action steps are presented by the description of the action and of pupils' reaction. Their reaction was in accordance with initial expectations. In the process of using various learning strategies introduced by the teacher, the pupils could choose a different learning strategy, if the one offered did not fit their needs properly. Giving the pupils the option of free choice for choosing the way of learning that fits them best has proven effective. It also gave the pupils extra motivation. In the end, the thesis offers the basis and possibilities for further work with pupils using the “learning to learn” goals. Self-regulation studies stress that the process of self-regulation is the one to influence pupils’ learning achievements efficiently by setting learning goals, using effective learning strategies, monitoring and evaluating progress, stimulating learning environment, and developing learning to learn competence. What is also important is the feedback information, which should direct the pupil to seek help (when needed), encourage persistence and hard work, and set new goals when the previous ones have been achieved