The value of writing a “how‐to” book to reduce the writing apprehension of secondary preservice science and mathematics

Abstract Although theory details characteristics of self‐regulated learners, educators do not have a definitive sense of how to teach students self‐evaluation and reflection. This action research addresses that and other limitations in the extant literature, describing the strategies, planning, knowledge monitoring, calibrations, and performance of 24 undergraduates. Students were dually enrolled in a cognitively demanding history course and a strategic learning seminar taught by the researchers. Using the history content, students were taught task‐appropriate strategies designed to generate self‐reflection and internal feedback. Findings indicated that the most successful history students calibrated global planning processes and the type and level of self‐selected strategies sooner than did the other students. Implications suggest that self‐reflective practice takes a sustained period of time to be internalized by students, but should be routinely incorporated into traditional strategy instruction.