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David Whitebread Memorial Lecture 2022: Theory and Research on Self-Regulated Learning Meet Real Life in Classrooms

PEDAL and the Whitebread family come together annually for the David Whitebread Memorial Lecture to celebrate the memory of Dr David Whitebread, PEDAL’s founder and a pioneer in early childhood development research.

This is a recording of the inaugural David Whitebread Memorial Lecture, given by Professor Nancy Perry from the University of British Columbia in Canada, titled Theory and Research on Self-Regulated Learning Meet Real Life in Classrooms. 

David and Nancy connected over their shared interests in understanding and supporting children’s development of self-regulating learning (SRL). Across time, he was one of her closest colleagues and a friend.

The significance of self-regulation as both a risk and protective factor in children’s early accomplishments in school is now well established. Researchers and practitioners generally agree helping children acquire knowledge and skills for effectively regulating learning is a priority. However, bridging the research to practice gap has proved challenging, perhaps because efforts to disseminate and animate research about self-regulation of/for learning tends to flow in just one direction: research to practice. Nancy’s research seeks to learn with and from teachers how to leverage classroom tasks, pedagogical practices, and interpersonal relationships to support SRL. She draws on theory and research that highlights metacognition, motivation, and strategic action as resources in learners’ productive regulation of/for learning, as well as broad, research-based guidance for designing and implementing supports for SRL. However, she also uses teachers’ local knowledge and experience to foster meaningful and sustained changes that are relevant to their contexts.

This presentation focuses on Nancy’s collaborations with teachers and lessons learned about simultaneously advancing research and practice agendas related to SRL.

This talk was recorded at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge on Wednesday 15th June 2022.

Theory and Research on Self-Regulated Learning Meet Real Life in Classrooms

Click here to watch the lecture via our YouTube channel.