Abstract
Most modern cognitive theories postulate that active executive control is the only internal source of self-regulation of learning processes. To account for incidental and other categories of unintentional learning, this study explored the hypothesis that two independent sources of internal control regulate academic learning: (a) active (or executive) and (b) dynamic (or nonexecutive). College undergraduates completed an inventory of active and dynamic learning processes. The findings supported the twosource hypothesis. Moreover, when the contribution of dynamic self-regulation was removed, the correlation between active self-regulation and learning was no longer significant. When active self-regulation was removed, the correlation between dynamic self-regulation and learning remained basically the same.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, J.R. (1982). Acquisition of cognitive skill.Psychological Review, 89, 369–406.
Atkinson, R.C., & Shiffrin, R.M. (1968). Human memory: A proposed system and its control processes. In K.W. Spence & J.T. Spence (Eds.),The psychology of learning and motivation: Advances in research and theory (Vol. 2, pp. 90–97). New York: Academic Press.
Bereiter, C. (1990). Aspects of an Educational Learning Theory.Review of Educational Research, 60, 603–624.
Blackwell, P.M., Engen, E., Fischgrund, J.E., & Zarcadoolas, C. (1978).Sentences and other systems: A language and learning curriculum for hearing-impaired children. Washington, DC: The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf.
Chissom, B., Iran-Nejad, A., & Burry, J.A. (1989, August).Development of an instrument to assess learning strategies. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, New Orleans.
Corno, L. (1989). Self-regulated learning: A volitional analysis. In B.J. Zimmerman & D.H. Schunk (Eds.),Self-regulated learning and academic achievement (pp. 111–142). NY: Springer Verlag.
Dewey, J. (1913).Interest and effort in education. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Doyle, W. (1983). Academic work.Review of Educational Research, 53, 159–199.
Harre, R. (1984).Personal being: A theory for Individual Psychology. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Iran-Nejad, A. (1986). Understanding surprise ending stories.Journal of Mind and Behavior, 7, 37–62.
Iran-Nejad, A. (1987). Cognitive and affective causes of intrest and liking.Journal of Educational Psychology, 79, 120–130.
Iran-Nejad, A. (1990). Active and dynamic self-regulation of learning processes.Review of Educational Research, 60, 573–602.
Iran-Nejad, A. & Cecil, C. (1992). Interest and learning: A biofunctional perspective. In K.A. Renninger, S. Hidi, & A. Knapp (Eds.),The role of interest in learning and development. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates.
Iran-Nejad, A., & Chissom, B. (1988, August).Active and dynamic sources of self-regulation in learning. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association.
Iran-Nejad, A., & Ortony, A. (1984). A biofunctional model of distributed mental content, mental structures, awareness, and attention.The Journal of Mind and Behavior, 5, 171–210.
Iran-Nejad, A., Ortony, A., & Rittenhouse, R.K., (1981). The comprehension of metaphorical uses of English by deaf children.American Speech-Language-Hearing Associations, 24, 551–556.
Johnson, M.K., & Hasher, L. (1987). Human learning and memory.Annual Review of Psychology, 38, 631–668.
Klein, L.S. (1989).Instructional interactions that encourage learning disabled students' dependency on teachers. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Toronto, Toronto.
Palinscar, A.S., & Brown, A.L. (1984). Reciprocal teaching of comprehension-fostering and monitoring activities.Cognition and Instruction, 1, 117–175.
Robinson, F.P. (1961).Effective study. New York: Harper and Row.
Schmeck, R.R. (1988).Learning strategies and learning styles. NY: Plenum.
Schneider, W. (1985). Categorization (restructuring) and automatization: Two separable factors.Psychological review, 92, 424–428.
Stroop, J.R. (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions.Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18, 643–662.
Weinstein, C.E., Goetz, E.T., & Alexander, P. A. (1988). (Eds.).Learning and study strategies. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Additional information
Asghar Iran-Nejad received his Ph.D. in 1983 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at The University of Alabama. His research interests and publications include the multisource nature of learning, cognitive and affective causes of interest, and sources of self-regulation. Brad S. Chissom received his Ed.D. in 1969 from Florida State University. He is Professor and Program Chair in Educational Research at The University of Alabama. He has written in the areas of educational research methodology, measurement and statistical applications.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Iran-Nejad, A., Chissom, B.S. Contributions of active and dynamic self-regulation to learning. Innov High Educ 17, 125–136 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00917134
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00917134