Leveraging Self-Regulated Learning Principles to Enhance Instruction and Learning of Research Methods
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INTRODUCTION: Educational research requires mastering complex skills, such as conducting literature reviews, selecting research designs to address research questions, and collecting and analyzing data. The challenge, however, is that research methods course instructors often have difficulty helping students grasp and apply these skills and concepts. Grounded in self-regulated learning (SRL) theory, this paper delineates an approach for integrating SRL principles into research methods education to improve both teaching practices and student learning. METHODS: Using a content analysis approach, we examined instructional strategies aligned with SRL principles to enhance research methods instruction. Specific pedagogical features (Kitsantas et al., 2025) designed to stimulate and promote SRL skills included learning objectives, reflective prompts, takeaway messages, authentic scenarios that contextualize research practices, and sequenced instructional activities, such as “Let’s See It!”, “Let’s Do It!”, and “You Do It!”, that scaffold students from guided demonstrations to independent application. The integration of learning technologies within Learning Management Systems was also reviewed as a tool to support student autonomy and self-directed learning. RESULTS: The analysis illustrated that embedding SRL strategies into research methods instruction offers great potential for fostering student engagement, deepening conceptual understanding, and enhancing student confidence in conducting educational research. SRL-guided approaches can also equip students with transferable self-regulation skills that can be applied across teaching contexts. DISCUSSION: Applying SRL principles to research methods instruction has the potential to transform both curriculum design and teaching practices. Embedding SRL-enhancing activities and pedagogical practices can enhance students’ ability to apply effective learning strategies to their learning as well as their development as critical and discerning consumers of research and long term professional growth. The insights gained highlight important implications for curriculum development and point to the need for future research examining the impact of SRL-based instructional models on student learning and research competencies, underscoring the transformative role that SRL can play in advancing research methods education.
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