Increasing Student Learning through Volitional Control

Students’ engagement and persistence on academic learning tasks often require their use of volitional strategies to protect against distractions and facilitate task completion. In this article we discusses factors that both positively and negatively influence students’ ability to regulate their learning activities and the supporting role that volitional strategies play in helping students to develop positive work habits for tackling academic assignments. Using the Academic Volitional Strategy Inventory (AVSI), we present teachers with approaches for helping students who need to support their learning efforts. Included are ways to use the AVSI (1) as a diagnostic tool, (2) to incorporate instruction in and modeling of volitional strategies in regular curriculum assignments, and (3) to promote student reflection and peer group interaction in facilitating self-regulatory action.