Self-regulated Learning at the Junction of Cognition and Motivation

Self-regulated learning has emerged as a powerful new learning theory that is able to promote the transfer of knowledge and skills to real-life situations and make students more independent of their teachers in extending and updating their knowledge base. In recent years, many researchers have shown an interest in developing a theory of self-regulated learning. Considerable research has been generated, but the concept is still too broadly defined and its basic foundations remain poorly understood. The purpose of this paper is to examine the theoretical underpinnings of two strongly related aspects of self-regulated learning that have, until recently, been studied in a relatively isolated fashion. The conceptual framework that is presented in this paper highlights the parallel and reciprocal relationships between components of the cognitive and motivational repertoire and centers on three levels of these repertoires: domain-specific knowledge, strategy use, and goals.