ABSTRACT
There is a growing viewpoint among educators and researchers that asking for help when one truly needs it is an adaptive strategy for learning, not a reflection of student dependency (Arbreton, 1993; Karabenick & Knapp, 1991; McCaslin & Good, 1996; Nelson-Le Gall, 1981, 1985; Newman, 1991, 1994). The ability to utilize others as a resource to cope with ambiguity and difficulty in the learning process can be an important self-regulatory strategy in the classroom. When students encounter difficulty and ask for help that is limited to the amount and type necessary to allow them to solve the problem independently (e.g., asking for hints or clarification rather than the solution), help seeking fosters learning and understanding (Arbreton, 1993; Karabenick & Knapp, 1991; Nelson-Le Gall, 1981, 1985; Newman, 1991, 1994).
