Implementation of Strategy Instruction to Promote Pre-Service Chemistry Teachers’ Self-Regulated Learning Skills

Abstract

This study aimed to promote self-regulated learning skills in pre-service teachers, and to this end, a two-year Self-Regulated Learning Skills Development (SLSD) Plan for pre-service chemistry teachers was developed. In this SLSD plan, the strategy instruction was conducted in an integrated way into the content courses of the chemistry education curriculum. The strategy instruction was carried out in four parts: “time management strategies”, “reading comprehension and summarization strategies”, “writing strategies” and “questioning strategies”. In addition, metacognitive strategies used by the pre-service teachers during the strategy instruction were also examined. Semi-structured interviews, self-monitoring forms, field notes, and student-generated questions were used to collect data to identify the strategies that the pre-service teachers used and determine the changes that occurred as a result of the application of these strategies. The data were analyzed using descriptive and content analysis methods. It was determined that both the frequency of use and the diversity of the strategies used increased in time management strategies, reading comprehension and summarizing strategies, and writing strategies. In questioning strategies, when the quality of the questions created by pre-service teachers was examined, it was determined that there was an increase in the quality of these questions in terms of “thinking level” and “content”, but there was no regular trend in terms of “chemistry understanding levels”. It was observed that most of the pre-service teachers also applied metacognitive strategies during strategy instruction. In the light of the results of this study, suggestions on promoting self-regulated learning skills in pre-service teachers are provided for chemistry teacher education, and chemistry education researchers.