Gaining a Sense of Control of Academic Performance: Increasing Self-Efficacy and Reflective Judgment

Current Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) work has found that college students who are trained to use evidence-based study strategies still do not employ these methods consistently. The current study examined how the development of self-efficacy and reflective judgment may affect how they prepare for examinations. Learning that one has control over one’s studying and knowledge is beneficial so the individual can alter study strategies to fit the needs of different course material. In an introductory Human Development and Family Studies course, students were assessed at the beginning and end of the course regarding the use of study strategies and whether they had internal control over these processes. Over time, most students, when prompted, were able to reflect on their learning processes and alter their study strategies when they were not successful in their performance. Recommendations from this study include prompting reflection by the students to help enhance their understanding of their control over their learning and to gain self-confidence.