Conscious study choices in Self-Regulated Learning

In the preparation phase, the student formulates personal goals and explores the various possibilities within the program (e.g., specializations, modules, minors, or courses). The student creates a plan on how to make a well-considered and appropriate choice, determining the necessary actions and timeline to achieve this.

In the performance phase, the student independently takes actions to make an informed choice, such as gathering information, seeking advice from teachers, and planning how to arrive at a decision. The student actively monitors whether the actions or strategies are being implemented effectively and whether they yield the expected results or need adjustments.

After making the choices, the student reviews them during the reflection phase to assess satisfaction with the decisions and whether these choices have contributed to their personal development. This reflection process subsequently aids in making future decisions.

Thus, a student who follows these steps demonstrates autonomy, goal-directedness, and reflective ability, and can optimally utilize the program choices to fulfill personal and professional ambitions.

  What choices did you make during your education and what guidance did you receive? 

What makes you so passionate about this topic? 

Judith Teunissen: During my education, I made choices sometimes ad hoc and out of convenience, and other times with a long-term perspective. A teacher helped me by encouraging me to consider the consequences of my decisions. 

Milou van Harsel: My passion for this topic stems from my personal experiences. From a young age, I wanted to study psychology and started that program. However, it did not meet my expectations, so I switched to teacher training college (PABO). There, my desire to attend university and learn more about how people learn resurfaced. A teacher at PABO encouraged me to pursue that path again. I am very grateful for his encouragement, as it confirms for me that you often need others when making significant choices. 

Nowadays, there is a lot of discussion about flexibility in higher education. What exactly are we talking about, and what dimensions of flexibility can be distinguished within this context?

Why are educational programs offering increasingly more choices within learning or study paths? 

Does offering substantive choice lead to increased motivation and learning?

Milou van Harsel: Flexibility in higher education is a broad theme that encompasses various aspects. According to Herma Jonker from Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, flexibility can be viewed through four dimensions: the “what” dimension (content), the “how” dimension (methods of learning), the “where” dimension (location), and the “when” dimension (timing). Additionally, Saskia Brand-Gruwel identifies several levels at which flexibility can be considered, such as the institutional level, the curriculum level, the module level, and the learning activity level. Furthermore, multiple stakeholders are involved, including the field of work, educational institutions, students, and teachers. Together, these dimensions, levels, and stakeholders form a framework for understanding and shaping flexibility in higher education. 

Milou van Harsel: Educational programs are offering more choices within learning or study paths because this can provide various benefits. Increasing flexibility can improve student motivation by allowing them to choose courses that align with their personal interests. Education can also become more inclusive, for example by enabling distance learning. Additionally, flexibility helps to better accommodate different levels of prior knowledge and lifelong learning trajectories, thereby serving a broader audience than currently. 

Judith Teunissen: It also allows for better addressing the needs of individual students. Experienced students can gain more depth, while those who struggle can receive additional support.

Milou van Harsel: Yes, offering substantive choice can lead to increased motivation and self-regulated learning, but this depends on various circumstances. Choice enhances motivation when it is meaningful and aligns with students’ interests, values, goals, and abilities. However, too much choice can lead to decision stress and demotivation, especially if students do not clearly know what they want. Autonomy and choice are not always the same; a student can experience autonomy without freedom of choice and vice versa. Therefore, effectively implementing choice requires carefully tailored options that truly motivate the student. 

Milou, you mentioned that we should move from freedom of choice to wise choices. What exactly do you mean by that? Do you mean that students should use their self-regulation skills during their decision-making process? 

Do you have examples of how students successfully apply self-regulation? 

Milou van Harsel: By wise choices, I mean the ability of students to make thoughtful and appropriate decisions, partly by using their self-regulation skills. This involves, for example, learning to know their internal compass – understanding their interests, values, and goals – and based on that, recognizing which choices are fitting at the moment. The decision-making process mirrors self-regulated learning: you articulate your goals, explore choice options and a strategy to make a decision, make your decision, monitor how well the choices fit, and evaluate the outcomes. By applying these skills, students can make better and/or more appropriate choices. 

Milou van Harsel: Students such as Mees, whom we discussed in our podcast, demonstrate that strategies like articulating goals and reflecting are truly helpful in making decisions. Mees had a good understanding of his goals, values, and interests when choosing his minor. He reflected on what he had found interesting in previous years and used this reflection to make a well-considered choice for his minor. 

Judith Teunissen: Additionally, Mees showed that seeking assistance through good conversations to explore what suits him is essential for successful self-regulation. 

What is the role of the teacher? 

We have seen that self-awareness is important. How can we focus on developing self-awareness and self-regulation skills within the curriculum? 

How can you assess self-awareness and self-regulation skills? 

Judith Teunissen: Helping students learn to reflect on the decision-making process. Teachers can guide students in adjusting their perceptions and expectations during their education. For example, by helping them reflect on internship experiences that differ from their initial expectations, such as discovering an unexpected interest in elder care instead of pediatric care or ambulance services. This awareness helps students make more informed choices for their future curriculum. Additionally, teachers can discuss signals they receive from students and not only focus on the internship assignment but also link it to the student’s interests. Academic career advisors can also assist by asking the right questions and encouraging students to think beyond the short-term, thus learning to make future-oriented and well-considered choices. 

Judith Teunissen: To incorporate self-awareness and internal compass elucidation into the curriculum, we have developed modules focused on personal and moral leadership. In these modules, students work on identifying their qualities and areas for development, as well as learning to reflect. This can be linked to their internships, where students translate personal learning goals into practice, think about their approach, and then reflect on their progress. Additionally, teachers can regularly revisit whether students are achieving their goals and where their interests lie, by encouraging them to evaluate and consider what they can do differently to reach their goals. Thus, self-regulation skills can be strengthened throughout the curriculum. 

Milou van Harsel: It is important to actively involve both the student and the learning environment in developing self-awareness and self-regulation skills. Teachers can support students in a needs-supportive way. For example, jointly elucidating the internal compass or the decision-making process helps students make well-considered choices. 

Judith Teunissen: Assessing self-awareness and self-regulation skills can be done in various ways. It can be more holistic by including a criterion related to self-regulation within different modules. For example, we have a learning outcome on critical thinking in the nursing process. A criterion for this is that they reflect on how they developed their role as a critical thinker during the module. Additionally, self-regulation skills can be assessed through criterion-referenced interviews and assessments, where students reflect on their self-regulatory activities. Professional-authentic assessments can also be used, in which students demonstrate both their theoretical knowledge and practical experience and skills. 

What does the coaching role require from you as a teaher? 

How do you support teachers in developing coaching skills? 

What message would you like to give to teachers? 

Judith Teunissen: The coaching role requires that you investigate why a student disengages, which can be due to loss of focus, interest, or losing perspective. This requires thorough investigation, but it can yield valuable insights. For example, during an internship, if a student says they don’t like it at all, you need to ask what they are struggling with, what they do like, and what other possibilities exist. This helps students reevaluate their future plans and regain motivation. 

Milou van Harsel: We support teachers in developing coaching skills through various initiatives. For instance, we have trainings like ‘The teacher as coach’ where coaching models like the GROW model are covered. Recently, we developed training where teachers can learn how to better guide students in making choices. This training addresses beliefs, tapping into the internal compass, and elucidating and going through the steps of the decision-making process. Additionally, we provide more clarity to the coaching role by defining what it entails alongside the other roles of a teacher. It does not mean that as a teacher, you only have this role, where you no longer transfer knowledge or everything must come from the student. On the contrary, it involves aligning with the student’s learning and the purpose of the task. If the goal is to strengthen the internal compass, then attention to reflection and coaching techniques to support this is essential. 

Judith Teunissen: It is important to realize that flexibility and making choices provide an excellent context for growing from regulation to self-regulation. Students may not always make the right choices, but they should see this as valuable learning moments. This process helps them better prepare for the many decisions they will face in their careers after graduation. It is essential that they do this now in a safe environment, with guidance and coaching from teachers. 

Milou van Harsel: I want to highlight the paradox in the coaching role that I sometimes see in educational practice. On one hand, thinking that this role impoverishes education because there is no more knowledge transfer, and on the other hand, overly implementing it where we think we must sit on our hands and wait for the student to come up with questions. 

My advice, especially regarding learning to make choices, is to provide direction and offer suggestions that can help the student in their process, but ultimately leave the choice to the student. Give examples, model behavior, and provide feedback to help students arrive at their own insights. 

What can we expect from future research within SELFLEX?

What change would you like to see in education? 

Milou van Harsel: In our work package, the focus is primarily on self-regulated learning within flexible learning paths. Both qualitative and quantitative research is being conducted. For example, at Avans University of Applied Sciences, quantitative research has been carried out to investigate how and on what basis students make choices when selecting a minor. Additionally, qualitative research has been conducted by a lecturer-researcher affiliated with the Brain and Learning research group. Currently, the data is being coded and analyzed. At Inholland University of Applied Sciences, research is underway on the flexibility within modules. This research, conducted by Renée Hendriks, compares the flexibility offered by teachers with the flexibility experienced by students, and examines how this relationship impacts their motivation and aspects of self-regulated learning. Data collection is in full swing. 

Judith Teunissen: I would advocate for teacher professionalization. This involves daring to look at oneself, identifying which skills one is already good at regarding self-regulated learning, recognizing one’s blind spots, and considering how to coach students more effectively in this area? 

Milou van Harsel: I would also emphasize enhancing teacher professionalization concerning this theme. I place teachers on a pedestal; they make education happen. Simultaneously, I believe that by providing them with more knowledge about learning and thereby boosting their confidence in their abilities, they can stand in front of their classes with even more enthusiasm and guide students effectively.