Argumentative Essay: Self-Regulated Learning & Academic Achievement

This argumentative essay delves into the significance of self-regulated learning (SRL) in the context of educational psychology, specifically focusing on its impact on undergraduate academic success. The essay begins with an introduction to SRL, defining it as a process of self-regulation aimed at educational advancement, and acknowledging individual differences in learning styles. The discussion section supports the thesis that SRL plays a crucial role in undergraduate academic achievement by examining how self-regulated students engage more effectively in cognitive, emotional, and motivational processes. The essay highlights how SRL fosters autonomy, adaptability, and metacognitive skills, which are essential for academic success. It also differentiates between SRL and traditional learning methods and emphasizes the importance of internet resources and audio-visual aids in modern learning environments. The conclusion reinforces the central argument that SRL is pivotal for undergraduates, contrasting it with traditional learning approaches and discussing the role of motivation and behavioral aspects in academic success. The essay utilizes various research papers to support its arguments and concludes by emphasizing the benefits of SRL for undergraduates.

Running head: SELF-REGULATED LEARNING
SELF-REGULATED LEARNING
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
The respective paper is an argumentative essay on self-regulated learning in the arena of
educational psychology based on a case study given as a question of the respective assignment
thereafter. Self-regulated learning, in educational psychological terms, is an ideal concept and
process of self-regulation with the aim of educational advancement and achievement
(Zimmerman & Schunk, 2012). It has to be remembered that different people have different
ways of imbibing, comprehending, analyzing and retaining information and every person’s
memory and intelligence quotient is different from one another. Therefore, it is evident that self-
regulated learning would also be different for different people (Zimmerman & Schunk, 2012).
The respective paper is an analysis of self-regulated learning and an argument regarding its
significance as stated in the case study given as an assignment, its importance, usage and utility
in the domain of learning.
Discussion
Yes, it is agreed that self-regulated learning plays an important role in an undergraduate’s
academic success. It has been researched and found out that students who are more “self-
regulated” tend to participate more in various other learning processes in their own successfully,
such as emotionally, motivationally and cognitively (Sahranavard, Miri & Salehiniya, 2018). The
induction of self-regulated learning habits among the young adults when they opt to join the
undergraduate programs have been proved to be immensely helpful as it provides the individual
to think, act and behave like an autonomous individual who is independent and responsible
towards his/her duties, responsibilities and professional/educational commitments. The sense of
autonomy which is imbibed by the individual through self-regulated learning helps them to take
decisions in their life, exercise a reasonable magnitude of control over their psychological

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processes and outbursts and are aware of their social as well as ethical limitation according to the
environment where they are put (Mega, Ronconi & De Beni, 2014). The individuals who follow
and practice self-regulated learning can often adjust in any situation, no matter how grave it is.
They possess the ability to adapt themselves into any kind of environment. An individual or an
undergraduate student who seeks self-regulated learning is a person who controls his/her
thoughts, emotions, feelings and actions in order to achieve academic goals and/or intellectual
pursuits. A self-regulated learner is a person who is meta-cognitive (who thinks about his/her
way of thinking), intellectually active, motivationally as well as behaviorally active in their own
way of learning (Villavicencio & Bernardo, 2013). The learners and academics that are meta-
cognitively active are knowledgeable, intellectually active and are conclusive and determined
about the way of their learning. They tend to be analytical and skillful in their approach with an
amalgamating mind of theories as well as pragmatism. The motivationally active learners are the
academic enthusiasts who opt for their own ways of learning for their own desire for learning
and achieving success. Behaviorally active learners are focused at their goals without any
unnecessary deviations with an intense drive of motivation; they generally tend to search for help
and assistance if they face obstacles in their learning paths and are capable for self-instructing
themselves. Such qualities in the self-regulating learners and individuals help them in all over
and holistic development of their personality and attitude which in turn, helps them immensely in
their academic pursuits as well (Dabbagh & Kitsantas, 2012).
There are certain types of self-regulated learning that helps the undergraduate learners
develop their learning abilities and cognitive skills in different dimensions and ways as given
hereafter. The process of comprehension, rehearsal, elaboration and summarization of the study
materials given to the undergraduate students as their course materials are one of the important

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steps of self-regulated learning that helps in acquiring, processing and utilizing their knowledge
(Wolters & Taylor, 2012). Such intellectual exercise helps the students grow their intelligent
quotient and cognitive strength, which is highly required for the undergraduate university
students. Such practices also ensure the students of sharp and long-term prolific memory. Certain
educational psychologists state that in self-regulated and intrinsic way of learning, there has been
research that shows a reasonable improvement in the process of recall, remembrance and
recapitulation among the undergraduate students and the learners which has helped them
immensely throughout their academic as well as professional career. It has been found out that,
in self-regulated learning process, studying different subjects in different classes with a different
routine of the undergraduate courses rather than following a monotonous routine of same classes
and same subjects at a stretch for everyday makes the cognition of a student more flexible and
tangible which brings better outcome in their academic performances (Broadbent & Poon, 2015).
Such processes help the learners and students to be flexible in not only in academic, social or
psychological environment but also makes them avoid the obnoxious habit of procrastination
which brings delay and one of the reasons for wastage of time and resources (Wolters & Taylor,
2012). A self-regulated learner and individual is a person who is well aware of his/her domain,
genre, premises, core competence and limitations in academics. The learner, in this case, utilizes
his/her utmost significant and important resource to meet his/her academic requirements and
achievements. In such process, he/she commits plethora of mistakes and learns greatly by trial-
and-error method to a large extent, therefore, he/she is devoid of impractical concepts like
perfectionism or unnecessary worry (Mega, Ronconi & De Beni, 2014). Rather, he/she becomes
practical and pragmatic in approaching to his/her studies which ultimately results in positive and
optimistic effect in their academic career. Self-regulated learning is way too different than

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traditional learning where the students are not provided with new or innovative ways of learning.
Rather, old-fashioned learning techniques and aids are used with monotonous subjects and
absolutely zero encouragement or inspiration for exploring the arena of learning. It is evident
that in the world of globalization, access to internet worldwide has become one of the leading
reasons for the increase in a number of students opting for higher education online as well as
offline. The advent of internet in the academic areas of the world has given rise to an immense
pool of knowledge and information to the students that can be accessed easily which was
actually difficult before the internet was invented (Cho & Cho, 2013). The internet, nowadays,
provide audio-visual learning videos of nearly each and every subjects of every discipline at
various social media platforms or websites. The undergraduate and post-graduate students have
been largely utilizing such resources and sources of knowledge and education for their academic
pursuits (Broadbent & Poon, 2015). Research says that audio-visual form of knowledge and
information are better retained by the learners than the information provided to them in
conventional letters and words. In self-regulated learning, there is an immense use of internet
which has remained largely unknown and unnoticed in the traditional way of learning (Siddaiah-
Subramanya, Nyandowe & Zubair, 2017). Therefore, it can be clearly stated that self-regulated
learning plays an important and pivotal role in the path of academic success of the undergraduate
students.
Conclusion
The respective paper is an argumentative essay that proves the fact and concept that self-
regulated learning, in terms of educational psychology, plays a pivotal and an important role in
the path of academic success of the undergraduate students. The essay argues and upholds its
thesis statement by contrasting the learning techniques of self-regulated learning with that of

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traditional way of learning in the context of undergraduate academic students or learners. The
essay focuses on the main significance of self-regulated learning, the process and how does it
helps the students and learners achieve academic success in their life and career. The paper deals
with terminologies such as meta-cognitive, behavioral and motivational aspects of a self-
regulated learner and discusses how they act as a catalyst in enhancing the academic
performance of the learners thereafter.

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References:
Broadbent, J., & Poon, W. L. (2015). Self-regulated learning strategies & academic achievement
in online higher education learning environments: A systematic review. The Internet and
Higher Education, 27, 1-13. Retrieved from:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1096751615000251?via%3Dihub
Cho, K., & Cho, M. H. (2013). Training of self-regulated learning skills on a social network
system. Social Psychology of Education, 16(4), 617-634. Retrieved from:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11218-013-9229-3
Dabbagh, N., & Kitsantas, A. (2012). Personal Learning Environments, social media, and self-
regulated learning: A natural formula for connecting formal and informal learning. The
Internet and higher education, 15(1), 3-8. Retrieved from:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1096751611000467
Mega, C., Ronconi, L., & De Beni, R. (2014). What makes a good student? How emotions, self-
regulated learning, and motivation contribute to academic achievement. Journal of
educational psychology, 106(1), 121. Retrieved from:
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-22762-001
Sahranavard, S., Miri, M. R., & Salehiniya, H. (2018). The relationship between self-regulation
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Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6332646/
Siddaiah-Subramanya, M., Nyandowe, M., & Zubair, O. (2017). Self-regulated learning: why is
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education and practice, 8, 243. Retrieved from:
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