Exploring Teachers’ Knowledge of Strategic Study Activity

Thirty-seven elementary and secondary school teachers were surveyed concerning their knowledge about task-specific study strategies. Ten of these teachers were also interviewed to validate and extend the survey data. Although virtually all of the teachers reported awareness of study strategies, particularly rehearsal strategies, their descriptions of strategy instruction very often focused on teacher-directed activities for learning content. Teachers seldom reported providing students with metacognitive components of strategy instruction—where, when, or why strategies should be used. This study suggests that teachers should be instructed on the nature and value of study strategies, the way of teaching these strategies, the modeling of strategic mental processes, and the role of metacognitive knowledge as a determinant of the effective use of study strategies.