Shared-regulation
and Motivation of Collaborating Peers: A Case Analysis
M. Vauras, T. Iiskala, A. Kajamies, R. Kinnunen, & E. Lehtinen |
Little
attention has yet been focused on the social nature of metacognition
and motivation in adult- or peer-mediated learning, although reciprocal
or transactive interaction between individuals is emphasized as a
road to learning, that is, in teaching and mediation of knowledge
and skills. The present article presents a case analysis and focuses
on (a) exploring if and how socially shared-regulation and (b) motivation
and coping are manifested in high-ability, 4th grade students' peer-mediated
learning in a technology-based game environment, specifically constructed
to foster problem solving in mathematics. The case analysis supported
the notion that peer-mediated learning can produce high-level learning
and, also, transfer of learning. The key conditions for effective
collaboration, task-orientation, and social and cognitive competencies,
were met in the case of the peers. The analysis further suggested
that the notion of shared-regulation could be helpful in understanding
of multilevel interaction and regulatory activities in learning.
The concept of shared-regulation best seemed to mirror egalitarian,
complementary monitoring and regulation over the task, thus bringing
the research closer to phenomena relevant to joint, peer-mediated
learning. It seemed that regulation in true collaboration fluctuates
among the three modes of regulation, self-, other-, and shared-regulation.
We concluded, however, that collaborating peers do not regularly
meet these ideal conditions, and that the more complete picture of
joint problem solving and regulation is complex and variable. Understanding
of these multilevel regulatory activities in learning, and their
relationship to other, multilevel concepts like motivation, social
competence, context, and learning, is a challenge for future research. Key words: shared-regulation, motivation, peer-mediated learning, elementary school, high-ability, word problems, learning game, technology-based learning |