Design, Validity and Effect of an Intra-Curricular Program for Facilitating Self-Regulation of Learning Competences in University Students with the Support of the 4Planning App

Invariant and suboptimal trajectories of self-regulated learning during secondary school: implications focused on quality in higher education

It has been shown that self-regulation of learning is a key variable for an adequate transition and adjustment from secondary school to tertiary education, and it is also associated with successful academic results; therefore, it is relevant to analyze its levels of development in the pre-university stage. The aim of this research was to evaluate the trajectories of self-regulation of learning in secondary school students. The method considered a longitudinal design and included a sample of 403 students from 9th to 12th grade in Chile. An instrument with adequate psychometric properties was used to measure the learning self-regulation process (disposition, performance and self-evaluation phases). The results showed that self-regulation is at suboptimal levels in its different phases (M = 4.25 to M = 4.71). Linear mixed models showed: a significant effect of sex on the disposition variable in favor of females; and that the phases of disposition, performance and self-evaluation do not change over time. It is concluded that, if self-regulation of learning is not specifically trained, it does not increase during secondary school. The findings are discussed considering the possible practical implications for educational policies, research, timely intervention and impact on the quality of school and university education.

Smartphones and Learning: Evaluating the Focus of Recent Research

The smartphone has become integral to most aspects of students' lives and is the primary conduit for accessing the internet. Objective research into the promise and dangers of this device is critical. While educational uses of the smartphone with young adults hold promise, the potential for harm is also present. While objectivity is valued, the focus of researchers can subjectively skew towards optimistic or pessimistic views of technology. The topics addressed in smartphone and learning research illuminate trends and potential biases in the field. This study investigates the issues addressed in smartphone and learning research in the past two years. These topics are compared with smartphone research in a similar field: psychology. The study, using a bibliometric approach, identified an overall negative arc of the literature towards topics such as addiction, depression, and anxiety in the psychology literature. The educational literature topics were comparatively more positive than psychology. Highly cited papers in both fields reflected explorations of adverse outcomes.

Rethinking the Multidimensionality of Growth Mindset Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Framework Proposal

Students, staff, and faculty in higher education are facing unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent data revealed that a good number of academic activities and opportunities were disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its variants. While much uncertainty remains for the next academic year, how higher education institutions and their students might improve responses to the rapidly changing situation matters. This systematic review and framework proposal aim to update previous empirical work and examine the current evidence for the effectiveness of growth mindset interventions in young adults. To this end, a systematic search identified 20 empirical studies involving 5, 805 young adults. These studies examined growth mindset within ecologically valid educational contexts and various content areas. Generally, these findings showed that brief messages of growth mindset can improve underrepresented students' academic performance and facilitate other relevant psychological constructs. In addition, we argue, although growth mindset has been identified as a unitary concept, it is comprised of multiple interdependent skills, such as self-control, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Understanding the nature of growth mindset may contribute to successful mindset implementation. Therefore, this article presents a practical framework to help educators in higher education rethink the multidimensionality of growth mindset and to provide their students with alternative routes to achieve their goals. Finally, additional articles were discussed to help evaluate growth mindset interventions in higher education.

Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Performance in Chilean University Students in Virtual Mode During the Pandemic: Effect of the 4Planning App

Research on the use of smartphone apps with the aim of developing self-regulated learning (SRL) and increasing academic performance of university students in virtual mode, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, is recent and scarce. The present article shows the results of a study that analyzed the effect of using the 4Planning app with an intra-curricular approach on SRL and on the academic performance of 119 1st-year psychology students in virtual mode, at a Chilean university (M_Age = 22.81, SD_Age = 6.52). The research was conducted with quantitative methodology and a quasi-experimental design, with pre- and posttest measurements of an experimental group and comparisons with three control groups. The results show that students who used the app during 10 weeks of the first academic semester 2021: (1) increased SRL self-report, (2) increased academic self-efficacy, and (3) obtained higher academic performance, compared to those who did not use it. The above occurs because the 4Planning app activates functions of the self-regulatory system of goal-directed behavior, which allows exercising the capacity of self-direction and self-influence on this type of behavior in the particular context of academic performance, which produces SRL. It is concluded that the 4Planning app is effective in developing self-regulation and improving the academic performance of 1st-year university students, in virtual learning mode.