Self-Regulated Learning

Self-regulated learning describes the degree to which a learner is metacognitively, motivationally and behaviorally an active participant in their own learning process, a concept developed largely through the work of educational psychologist Barry Zimmerman from the 1980s onward. Zimmerman's cyclical model divides self-regulation into three phases: forethought, in which a learner sets goals and plans a strategy before starting a task; performance, in which the learner monitors their own progress and applies strategies while working; and self-reflection, in which the learner evaluates the outcome and adjusts future effort accordingly. The concept has become central to research on study skills and academic motivation, since learners who plan, monitor and reflect on their own work tend to outperform those who do not, independent of raw ability.