Teachers’ beliefs about the usefulness and importance of self-regulated learning

Abstract

Teachers’ awareness and mastery of metacognitive strategies are fundamental to fostering self-regulated learning in their students. However, lack of training and limited implementation of these strategies can hinder their effectiveness. The following study focuses on analysing the impact that the regular use of different metacognitive strategies can have on the improvement of the teaching process. To address this objective, a quasi-experimental pre-post study was carried out with an experimental group and a control group. The participants were teachers of a Master’s degree in Educational Technology, who used a digital tool to develop metacognitive strategies. Their perceptions of the usefulness and importance of self-regulated learning and their students’ ability to apply it were measured using a validated questionnaire. The results revealed significant improvements in the three dimensions analysed: usefulness, importance and students’ perceived ability to self-regulate their learning. Teachers who regularly used the digital tool reported a greater conviction about the effectiveness of self-regulated learning and its application in the classroom. This study demonstrates the importance of using digital tools in teacher training to strengthen self-regulated learning. Improving teachers’ perceptions can foster educational practices that enhance students’ autonomy and metacognition.