Effect of teaching of self-regulated learning strategies on attribution styles in students

Introduction. Nowadays, self-regulated learning has become an important focus in research and a large number of studies have been undergone about self-regulation, school achievement and motivation of learning, but few researches has been done in the field of self-regulated leaning and motivational variables and attributions. This research has been undergone with the general objective of proving the effectuality of teaching of self-regulated learning strategies on attribution styles in students. Method. At this experimental study, the sample size consisted of 30 students, 15 each in experimental and control groups, and a random cluster multiple-stage sampling method was used on 2nd grade junior-high boy students of the Heptagonal-zones of the Education Office in the city of Mashhad. At first, MSLQ and attribution styles in children questionnaires were executed as a pre-test in both groups. After which, only the experimental group was given teaching in self-regulated learning strategies for 18 one-hour sessions. After the teaching a post-test using the aforementioned questionnaires were taken from both groups. The data gathered were analyzed using SPSS software program and the independent T-test-differences between means. Results. The results showed that there was a meaningful difference between means of attribution styles to negative events, internal attribution dimension for positive events in experimental and control groups; thus, training of self-regulated learning strategies produced a decrease in pessimistic attribution styles, and an increase in internal attribution dimension in the students. Discussion and Conclusion. According to the results, teaching of self-regulated learning strategies have a significant effect on modification of attributions especially negative attributions. The modification of pessimistic attribution styles has an basic important on mental health. Thus, as an promotive mental health strategies recommend to teach self regulated learning strategies for students at schools.