Date of Award

Spring 5-2021

Author's School

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Author's Department

Psychology

Additional Affiliations

Behavior, Brain, & Cognition

Degree Name

Master of Arts (AM/MA)

Degree Type

Thesis

Abstract

Students’ use of effective learning strategies facilitates durable learning and academic success. The present research investigates changes in the learning strategies of 2,082 high school students in a dual-enrollment program. All students in the current study were participating in the program for the first time, and data were collected over one academic year via pre- and post-course surveys. It is hypothesized that friction between students’ pre-course learning strategies and the strategy usage expected in the learning environment could promote a change in students’ use and perceptions of effectiveness of learning strategies. Using latent change score models, we investigated changes in students’ use and perceptions of effectiveness of learning strategies, and found general trends of small, significant decreases in both use and effectiveness ratings across strategies. Additionally, we coded open-ended responses to investigate further how students self-described changes in their use of strategies, and discussed themes of change such as better, more, different, and less. We conclude with a discussion about why students might fail to demonstrate an increase in their use of effective strategies, the intricacies of measurement of student learning strategy use, and practical implications of the research for improving student learning.

Language

English (en)

Chair and Committee

Andrew C. Butler

Committee Members

Mark A. McDaniel, Henry L. Roediger III

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