Teaching mathematics with selfregulation and for self-regulation: Teachers' reports

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate whether elementary school teachers' reported use of self-regulatory instructional strategies regarding mathematics corresponds to the different aspects of the construct of self-regulatory teaching described in literature. Two hundred and ninety two Greek teachers responded to two questionnaires assessing: (a) the strategies they use themselves to plan, monitor, and evaluate mathematics instruction, i.e., teaching with self-regulation, and (b) the strategies they use to activate and enhance students' self-regulated learning in mathematics, i.e., teaching for self-regulation. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that teachers' reported use of self-regulatory teaching is explained by factors of various levels of generality. Teaching with and teaching for self-regulation emerged as distinct conceptual factors. In addition, the cyclic model of self-regulation (Zimmerman, 2000) was confirmed regarding promotion of students' self-regulated learning in mathematics (i.e., strategies enacted before, during, and after learning) but not regarding teachers' self-regulatory instruction. Associations between teachers' gender, teaching experience, and age, and their reported self-regulatory strategy use were also investigated. Gender differences in favour of women teachers were found with regard to the use of strategies for planning learning and instruction. The results are discussed within the frame of teachers' professional growth and students' improvement of mathematics learning.