A Synthesis on the Impact of Self-Regulated Instruction on Motivation Outcomes for Students with or at Risk for Learning Disabilities

In this synthesis, we examined and assessed the impact of self-regulated instructional components on the motivation of students with or at risk for learning disabilities (LD) in reading, writing, or mathematics intervention studies. Elements such as goal setting, self-monitoring for task completion, self-monitoring for emotions, self-talk for task completion, self-talk for emotions, and self-talk for progress monitoring were identified as relevant constructs, and were further examined to determine their effect on students’ motivation for learning and academic functioning. Results indicated major differences in the application of these self-regulated instructional components across academic domains. Quantitative analyses also revealed that interventions with self-regulated instructional components resulted in positive effects on motivation measures such as self-efficacy, self-esteem, attributions, value for task, affect, expectancy for success, and intrinsic motivation. Finally, our findings have practical implications for struggling learners, as goal setting and self-talk, for task completion or for progress monitoring, seem especially likely to improve the likelihood that struggling learners will demonstrate positive gains in motivation.