ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses what it means to self-reflect. Gathering information or feedback about performance from teachers or through self-monitoring is a vital aspect of the regulatory process, but it is not the end game. Having to face competition and performance pressure will help prepare students to function and cope adaptively as school becomes more complex and once they eventually enter the workforce. There is also research showing that setting reasonably high self-standards for success will often have positive effects on students' motivation and overall achievement. Although normative information can help students understand how they stack up to their peers, it can have many negative and unintended consequences. In some sense, normative standards work against a self-regulated learning mindset because they mask or obscure individual and personal growth. Self-evaluation is the key first step in the self-reflection process. A typical process for providing feedback might entail teachers handing back graded papers or projects and then asking students to review their mistakes.