Motivating Middle School Learners

There has been increasing concern over middle-school§students standardized test scores and decreased§engagement in learning activities. This is§particularly true of at-risk students who often§exhibit characteristics of learned helplessness. One§factor may be that middle school students frequently§do not understand what skills and knowledge they§possess (academic self-efficacy) or how they learn§(self-regulated learning strategy use).§This study examined the effects of participation in a§guided reflective writing program and gender on§middle school students academic self-efficacy§beliefs and use of self-regulated learning§strategies. Quantitative data were collected from an§academic self-efficacy inventory administered as a§pre- and posttest. Qualitative data were collected to§examine students awareness and use of self-regulated§learning strategies. The data sources included the§treatment group responses to writing prompts and§interviews from selected students from both groups.§Self-efficacy and self-regulated learning were§examined for gender differences.§This work is of interest to educators, counselors,§administrators, psychologists,educational§researchers, and parents.