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Teaching self-regulation

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel Schunk

    (Department of Law and Economics, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz)

  • Eva M. Berger

    (German Council of Economic Experts)

  • Henning Hermes

    (DICE (Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics), Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf)

  • Kirsten Winkel

    (University of Applied Sciences Saarbrücken)

  • Ernst Fehr

    (Department of Economics, University of Zurich)

Abstract

Children’s self-regulation abilities are key predictors of educational success and other life outcomes such as income and health. However, self-regulation is not a school subject, and knowledge about how to generate lasting improvements in self-regulation and academic achievements with easily scalable, low-cost interventions is still limited. Here we report the results of a randomized controlled field study that integrates a short self-regulation teaching unit based on the concept of mental contrasting with implementation intentions into the school curriculum of first graders. We demonstrate that the treatment increases children’s skills in terms of impulse control and self-regulation while also generating lasting improvements in academic skills such as reading and monitoring careless mistakes. Moreover, it has a substantial effect on children’s long-term school career by increasing the likelihood of enroling in an advanced secondary school track three years later. Thus, self-regulation teaching can be integrated into the regular school curriculum at low cost, is easily scalable, and can substantially improve important abilities and children’s educational career path.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Schunk & Eva M. Berger & Henning Hermes & Kirsten Winkel & Ernst Fehr, 2022. "Teaching self-regulation," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 6(12), pages 1680-1690, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:6:y:2022:i:12:d:10.1038_s41562-022-01449-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01449-w
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    • Daniel Schunk & Eva M. Berger & Henning Hermes & Kirsten Winkel & Ernst Fehr, 2022. "Teaching Self-Regulation," Working Papers 2210, Gutenberg School of Management and Economics, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz.

    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Berger, Eva M. & Fehr, Ernst & Hermes, Henning & Schunk, Daniel & Winkel, Kirsten, 2020. "The Impact of Working Memory Training on Children’s Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 9/2020, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics.

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