Goal setting to improve students' self-regulated learning, studying, and academic achievement

Goal setting is widely researched in industrial/organizational psychology and in academic settings. Research involving post-secondary students has investigated optimal scheduling for goals and types of prompts for setting goals to improve academic achievement, increase productive habits related to self-regulated learning (SRL), increase course retention, and boost motivation for learning. Some research provides goal templates to guide goal setting, but students often have trouble following templates. Goal setting in past research has not always improved academic outcomes. This project researched goal setting from a SRL perspective using a new template, ACE IT: Action, Content, Evaluation/Efficacy, Importance, and Timeframe. In a regular course, undergraduates in the Goal Setting condition were: trained about ACE IT, provided a library of study techniques to consider when creating learning goals, completed the guided ACE IT goal template, and reflected weekly on goal(s) set and attainment. Students in a Learning Diary (LD) condition kept a diary of learning activities, had access to the same Study Strategies Library, and reflected weekly on studying in general without guidance provided by the ACE IT goal template. In Fall and in Spring term, students' academic achievement was measured by final grades. Self-reported SRL skills were assessed using a questionnaire. Mixed methods included qualitative coding of students' entries in ACE IT goal templates and unstructured Learning Diaries, and quantitative analyses of perceptions of: the ACE IT template, Learning Diary, and Study Strategy Library. Unlike prior research, students proficiently used the ACE IT template and reported positive attitudes about setting goals in both conditions. All students appreciated trying new study strategies, experienced more accountability in their studying, and perceived study plans were more organized. Groups in Fall term did not differ in final grades while the comparison (LD) group achieved higher marks in the Spring term sample. Suggestions for practice include providing students a study skills library, promoting weekly planning for learning, inviting reflection on goals, and training to frame high-quality goals.