The quest for self-regulation: A design-based approach with vocational teachers

In this design-based research study, we join in with vocational teachers and investigate how we can diminish obstacles and optimise students’ self-regulated learning and motivation in pre-vocational secondary education by better understanding the connection between teaching and learning in workplace simulations. The design of authentic and challenging learning tasks that provide students with a clear goal, visible assessment and performance criteria is suggested to be an important starting point. Moreover, direct feedback from the teacher on task level, process level, self-regulated learning level, and self level can reduce the discrepancy between current understanding and performance and promote self-regulated learning and motivation.Method triangulation is used for gathering data, including observations, logbooks of teachers, and questionnaires for students. This research is still in progress, but the set up promises a practice oriented approach, in which teachers are actively involved.