Self-regulated learning: Bridging the gap between metacognitive and metamotivation theories

Abstract

Winne's commentary article examined some theoretical and empirical studies not regularly cited in the literature of educational psychology. He attempted to identify existing gaps in the self-regulated learning (SRL) theory. Only a glimpse was offered of affective variables (self-referenced cognitions and affect) that influence SRL. Nevertheless, there is ample theoretical and empirical evidence that attest that SRL charges learners not only for metacognitive self-regulation but for metamotivational self-regulation as well. Consequently, a view that takes the motivated student as a starting point is a biased view. Educational psychologists should make their theories of SRL domain-specific and extend them to include affective variables, multiple goal monitoring, and multiple forms of self-regulation. These multiple forms of self-regulation ought to be made explicit educational goals when starting a new content domain.