The Effect of a Resource Management Intervention on Academic Performance and Self-Regulated Learning
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D)
Department
Psychology and Special Education
Date of Award
Spring 2025
Abstract
Resource management is a component of self-regulated learning that involves the processes involved in selecting and using resources to fulfill learning goals. An effective learner is able to select the most appropriate resources for learning. While many interventions have focused on providing new resources or identifying the most effective ones, few have addressed whether students are using these resources in an effective manner. The present study explored a strategic resource use exercise for improving academic performance and investigated a potential mechanism of resource management. Undergraduate organic chemistry students (N = 498) were randomly assigned to either the strategic resource use (SRU) or control condition. All students completed a pre-exam survey asking about their desired grade on the exam and rated their motivation and confidence to achieve that grade. Students in the treatment group also completed the SRU exercise after the pre-exam prompt, asking them to make a specific plan for which resources they would use to study. The SRU exercise had no overall effect on exam performance on average; however, there was a significant interaction between experimental condition and baseline metacognitive awareness. Students with below average metacognitive awareness in the treatment group performed better on exams, while students with above average metacognitive awareness performed worse on exams, indicating a potential expertise reversal effect. There was no association between reported explore, exploit, and prune behaviors and academic performance.
Advisor
Lacy Krueger
Subject Categories
Education | Educational Psychology
Recommended Citation
Mathieu, Kaleb, "The Effect of a Resource Management Intervention on Academic Performance and Self-Regulated Learning" (2025). Electronic Theses & Dissertations. 1260.
https://digitalcommons.tamuc.edu/etd/1260
