Effect of Metacognitive Prompts on Undergraduate Pharmacy Students’ Self-regulated Learning Behavior

Abstract

Objectives. To elucidate the ability of pharmacy students to self-regulate their learning, and determine the impact of their self-regulatory behaviors on student learning outcomes. Methods. This study utilized a mixed methods approach using 'meta-learning' assessment tasks to identify the learning strategies used and relied on by second year pharmacy students (n=139), and to determine the relationships between the quality of strategies and academic achievement.Results. The results demonstrate that although students have used a wide range of strategies, they rely on a small number. When prompted to use more advanced strategies, the quality of strategies reported were significantly related to academic achievement, with significant relationships between achievement and goal setting, self-efficacy, self-satisfaction, self-evaluation and adaptive reactions. Conclusion. These findings suggest that high achieving students use higher quality forethought and self-reflective strategies than poor achieving students. Potentially, prompting students to engage in higher quality strategies may increase students' awareness of their own learning and improve student learning outcomes.

Study Behaviors Associated with Student Pharmacists’ Academic Success in an Active Classroom Pharmacy Curriculum

“…These findings are consistent with the concepts of self-regulated learning and the significant impact of effective metacognition on academic performance. 1,3 Faculty members can use the results of this study in designing orientation and student success programs to better prepare incoming students for a smooth transition into the curriculum and to support and provide resources for those who are struggling. Investigators believed that a list of proven study behaviors might be compiled and shared with incoming students as part of their orientation to promote success in the curriculum.…”

“…2 Academically highperforming students routinely engage in effective, selfregulated learning. 3 Self-regulated learning involves components such as motivation, metacognition, help-seeking behaviors, and time management and study strategies. 1,4 Studies have shown a positive relationship between student motivation and academic achievement.…”

Self-Regulated Learning in Undergraduate Science

“…Metacognition is often divided into 'monitoring' and 'control' strategies (Dinsmore et al, 2008). Most students monitor their learning (Colthorpe, Ogiji, Ainscough, Zimbardi, & Anderson, 2019;Stanton, Neider, Gallegos, & Clark, 2015), though to be considered 'metacognitive', students must then adapt their study regimes based on the information drawn from self-monitoring. The combined influence of metacognitive monitoring and control has been found to lead to a deeper conceptual understanding of the content, more efficient and targeted study, and an overall reduction in effortful learning (Greene, Moos, & Azevedo 2011;Hartwig & Dunlosky, 2012).…”

Evaluation of the Self-regulated Learning Model in High Schools: A Systematic Literature Review

“…SRL students must have a strategy to achieve their learning goals based on self-efficacy perceptions with the assumption that students have independent learning strategies, self-efficacy, and commitment to their learning goals [4]. SRL is related to oneself and one's ability to try, control oneself, and critically evaluate themselves to achieve the best results and about how to overcome risks, failures, disturbances, fight laziness in pursuing life goals [9]. SRL in the classroom is how teachers and students discuss learning goals, ways of learning, and how they measure learning success.…”