Transitioning from college classroom to teaching career: Self‐regulation in prospective teachers

Abstract

College coursework and job-related tasks make similar demands on students and workers. Typically, as students advance through the grades, they are expected to become increasingly competent and less dependent on detailed guidance from instructors. That is, these students are expected to acquire the academic skills, thinking, reasoning, and teamwork skills necessary for productive work in the twenty-fi rst century (21st Century Workforce Commission, 2000). Focusing on the transition from school to work, the 21st Century Workforce Commission has recommended closer linkages between secondary schools and colleges and between colleges and the workplace as a means of motivating students toward higher personal goals linked to the world of work. In negotiating the increasingly complex demands of college classrooms and the workplace, students and workers can benefi t from equipping themselves with a repertoire of strategies, such as mobilizing internal and external resources, self-monitoring, and evaluating information. These are volitional strategies of self-regulation.In self-regulating, individuals draw on a variety of volitional strategies to accomplish their goals. Distinguishing motivation (setting goals) from volition (protecting goals), Corno and Kanfer (1993) described three categories of covert or internal volitional control strategies individuals use to protect their goals: 89This chapter explores how preservice teachers prepare for the transition from college classroom to career through assignments and features of the learning environment designed to approximate the demands of work settings and job-related tasks.

Student teachers’ proactive strategies for avoiding study-related burnout during teacher education

“…Also, an ability to plan and to be organized are helpful in identifying future stressors and developing methods for coping with university studies (Straud et al 2015). Accordingly, teacher education provides an essential context for student teachers to develop such strategies (Caires et al 2012;Randi, Corno, and Johnson 2011).…”

“…For example, proactive self-regulation in classroom management includes reflecting on potential risks beforehand and thus being prepared to face problems (Soini, Pyhältö, and Pietarinen 2010;Chang 2009), whereas co-regulative actions can entail discussing alternative ways of resolving challenging situations in advance with peers (Randi et al 2011). Accordingly, proactive coregulation (Pietarinen et al 2013a; see also Järvelä, Volet, and Järvenoja 2010) involves identification and active use of those social resources student teachers have in order to cope with stressors.…”

Student Teachers’ Proactive Strategies and Experienced Learning Environment for Reducing Study-Related Burnout

“…Proactive self-regulation strategies entail behavioral, cognitive and emotional regulation such as allocating enough time for studying (Randi, Corno, & Johnson, 2011), being organized (Straud et al, 2015), and taking care of good study-leisure balance (Murray-Harvey et al, 2000) when expecting to face potentially stressful transactions (Chang, 2009; see also Boekaerts, Pintrich, & Zeidner, 2000;Zimmerman, 2002). Student teachers have been shown to use proactive self-regulation successfully to reduce the risk of burnout (Renk & Smith, 2007;Väisänen et al, submitted).…”

“…Student teachers have been shown to use proactive self-regulation successfully to reduce the risk of burnout (Renk & Smith, 2007;Väisänen et al, submitted). They have been shown, for example, to apply various workload and time management strategies (e.g., Paquette & Rieg, 2016;Randi et al, 2011), to organize and plan academic tasks in advance (e.g., Aspinwall & Taylor, 1997;Paquette & Rieg, 2016), and to utilize positive thinking, set realistic expectations and prepare for expected challenges (Murray-Harvey et al, 2000), i.e., they have displayed proactive self-regulative strategies that have been associated with a reduced risk of developing burnout.…”

Teacher Candidate Psychological Insight and Capacity for Change: Developing a Professional Identity

“…Hwang and Vrongistinos (2002) conducted a study involving college students and found that those achieving at a high level were likely to use cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational learning strategies whereas low achievers did not implement such strategies. Despite the effectiveness of self-regulated learning techniques, many individuals do not develop such strategies until they enter college, if not later (Randi, Corno, & Johnson, 2011). If individuals do not possess the tools to selfregulate their own learning it becomes that much more difficult for educators to help students develop such skills (Randi, 2004).…”