Adaptive behavior in mathematics: Exploring the development of self-regulation in middle school students Open Access

Abstract

Transition into middle school demands increased academic expectations and a greater focus on independent, self-directed assignments; however, students typically show a decrease in motivation, task value, and self-efficacy during this period. In recent years, self-regulation has received much attention because of its positive influence on student achievement and adaptive behavior. Though contemporary views of self-regulation have shifted from an individual constructivist perspective to a social constructionist perspective in which self-regulation is believed to be influenced by environmental context, there is limited research on how self-regulation is fostered within a middle school context. The purpose of this paper is to observe how self-regulation and factors related to this construct develop as individuals interact with others during math class. Survey data of 612 6^th graders and 626 7^th and 8^th graders attending a public suburban school district in southeastern United States showed that perceptions of teacher support and co-regulation decreases throughout the middle school years. Moreover, teacher support alone was a significant predictor of the variance in 6^th grade students' self-regulation behavior, where as all three constructs, teacher support, co-regulation, and self-efficacy were predictors of the variance in self-regulation in 7^th and 8^th grade students.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents Title Page......................................................................1

Abstract........................................................................2

Introduction...................................................................3 Methods........................................................................8 Results.........................................................................11 Discussion.....................................................................19 References....................................................................22 Tables..........................................................................24 Appendices....................................................................29

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Psychology
Degree	BA
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Education, Educational Psychology
Keyword	self-regulation development adolescents
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Chang, Mei-Lin, Emory University
Committee Members	Downey, Charles A, Emory University Abramowitz, Ann, Emory University

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