Strengthening metacognitive skills and effort regulation in (teachers of) 11-13 year olds: designing a professional development trajectory

Teachers play a crucial role in fostering students’ self-regulatory abilities, including metacognitive skills and effort regulation. However, supporting these skills is closely tied to teachers’ own self-regulatory capacities, their perceived competence in this field, and their mindset or beliefs regarding their students’ capacity to develop such skills. Numerous studies have shown that modeling and explicitly demonstrating these strategies can lead to significant learning gains among students.

A solid understanding of one’s own self-regulatory processes is therefore essential for effectively guiding students in their further development. Achieving this requires both time and targeted professional development. To ensure deep learning and meaningful professional growth, professional learning trajectories should emphasize active participation and a sense of ownership, alongside sufficient time for reflection and practice.
This study aims to design a professional development program that enhances teachers’ metacognitive and self-regulatory skills, supports their automation and transfer, and enables teachers to apply these skills in designing learning activities that cultivate similar abilities in their students. The focus is on students in the final year of primary education and the first year of secondary education, as research indicates that an early emphasis on metacognitive and effort regulation helps prevent procrastination - a widespread issue that persists into adulthood and higher education, undermining learning and success.