Increasing Cognitive Resilience: A Website for Educators Outlining the Implications of Neuropsychological Development and Executive Functioning on Self-Regulated Learning

Self-regulated learning is the process of employing metacognitive and regulatory skills for the purposes of accomplishing self-determined goals of information acquisition, expanding expertise, and self-improvement. Neuropsychological development and changes of executive functioning implicate that the skills necessary for self-regulated learning evolve across childhood and adolescence. By accounting for the development of specific executive functioning components, educators can be proactive in teaching children to be resilient learners.;Neurological and neuropsychological developmental processes are reviewed and a trajectory of executive functioning skills is projected, demonstrating that educator expectations of students should differ between the age groups of 5 to 8, 9 to 12, and 13 to 17. This framework also provides a heuristic model of how to teach students to be self-regulated learners. Beginning with teaching the underlying, executive functioning skills, lessons and interventions then progress to addressing the components of self-regulated learning: goal setting, metacognition, self-regulation, and self-efficacy. This information is compiled into a Website and is made available for educators from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. The Website was modified through a series of review stages and was evaluated by educators. Findings indicate a bridged understanding between theoretical models self-regulated learning and the practical application of supporting self-regulated learning in the classroom. Educators' ratings indicate that the concept of self-regulated learning is critical to their professional role; yet, minimal changes in ratings are made regarding intervening on these skills in their students. These implications and future directions for enhancing self-regulated learning are discussed.