Project RetSeL

Training numeracy strategies - self-regulation in learning

Self-regulation is the ability to control one’s own thoughts, emotions and actions. Self-regulated learning involves the independent selection and use of appropriate cognitive, metacognitive and motivational-affective strategies to achieve self-defined goals. The RetSeL project is concerned with investigating these self-regulation strategies in the context of primary school mathematics. In particular, it aims to investigate why learners differ in their use of strategies in arithmetic and to take a closer look at the cognitive and motivational-affective learning processes in arithmetic.

A particular focus of the project is to identify the characteristics of such learning processes in students with learning and attention difficulties. While initial studies will examine students with and without learning and attention difficulties in fourth grade, further studies will examine other factors that influence the use of strategies, such as well-being, emotion regulation and stress. Based on these results, an intervention for training self-regulation strategies in arithmetic will be developed and differential effects for children with learning and attention difficulties will be investigated.