Effects of participation in a guided reflective writing program on middle school students' academic self-efficacy and self-regulated learning strategy use

This six-week, quasi-experimental study examined the effects of instruction in a guided reflective writing program and gender on middle school students' development of academic self-efficacy beliefs and self-regulated learning strategies use. The data collected included: (a) a pretest posttest self-efficacy inventory, (b) responses to writing prompts, (c) audio-taped interviews, and (d) observations. The intentions of this study were: (a) to determine if instruction in guided reflective writing would help students activate self-referent processes to self-regulate learning, (b) to determine how reflective writing impacts students' use of self-regulation of learning strategies, and (c) to determine if there are gender differences in self-referent processes and self-regulated learning strategy use.; The data from the pre-test and post-test self-efficacy inventory were analyzed using a repeated measures factorial ANOVA. There was statistical significance for the dependent variable attributions for success and failure. There were no statistically significant results for the dependent variables goal orientation, intrinsic motivation, or persistence and effort. Statistical significance for the dependent variable ability attributions was inconclusive.; Data collected from the structured survey interviews, responses to the reflective writing prompts (RWP), observations, and students' grades yielded more positive results. The chi square association tests on responses to the interview questions and in responses indicated that the students in the experimental group more readily identified goal orientation of learning and skill mastery and the strategies of goal setting and time management and planning than those in the control group. Girls in the treatment group were more likely to attribute success to persistence and effort and to state interest in learning more often than the boys in the treatment group.; Chi square tests indicated that the students in the treatment group were more likely to improve their grades than the students in the control group. Chi square tests also indicated that the girls in the treatment group were more likely to have improved grades than the boys in the same group. Students from the treatment group made gains in terms of time on task, task completion, and persistence in the face of difficulties. These gains were not observed in the control group.