An Action Research Study into the Teaching Practices that Support the Development of Reflective Thinking and Self-Regulated Learning in Secondary Mathematics

This study aimed to gain an understanding of the teaching practices that promote student reflective-thinking and self-regulated learning in mathematics. Participants were Year 8 students with data collected over three stages throughout one school year. Data included a student questionnaire, researcher reflections, and semi-structured interviews, and was analysed using descriptive and thematic analyses. It was found that explicit reflection prompts, peer- and teacher-modelling, as well as the choice of challenging tasks support student reflection and self-regulation. Students required time and a student-centred learning environment if self-reflection and self-regulation were to be seen as a beneficial and valuable part of learning.