Introducing a self-regulated learning model into the Key Stage 3 classroom

SOPHIE APPELQVIST, ENGLISH TEACHER, THE LADIES’ COLLEGE, GUERNSEY Classroom teachers appreciate the importance of independent work. But, practically, how do you improve the independent skills of a class? I was teaching a relatively small group of engaged and enthusiastic students, in a school where behavioural issues are minimal and expectations are high. However, my students struggled to complete work without constant teacher intervention. I set out to develop a self-regulated learning model, bespoke to my class, to develop their independence. While researching ways in which to increase independence, it is unsurprising that my reading led me to multiple papers on metacognition and self-regulated learning (SRL). The importance of ‘thinking about thinking’ (Flavell, 1976) has become a cornerstone of modern teaching. In fact, searches for metacognition and SRL continue to increase on the Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) website; this is unsurprising when we consider th