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Background: Our interest in perceived self-regulation of learning arose in the context of educational reform. After decades of stability, the Finnish high school system underwent reform in the 1990s, with a significant emphasis being placed on promoting student self-regulation of learning. Aims: The purposes of the study were (1) to evaluate changes in the mean level of perceived self-regulation throughout high school and (2) to evaluate the nature of the developmental relations between achievement, perceived self-regulation, and personal interest. Sample: The participants consisted of 245 systematically sampled high school students from a mid-sized Finnish city. Methods: T tests for paired samples were employed to assess changes in the level of personal interest and perceived self-regulation. Analysis of the developmental relations was carried out within a structural equations modelling framework. Results: The main result was that perceived self-regulation at the beginning of high school predicted not only scholastic achievement at the end of high school over and above prior achievement, but also subsequent personal interest. Additionally, following an international trend, the level of perceived self-regulation decreased from the first to third year of study. Conclusions: The study has important theoretical and practical implications. First, the results suggest that perceived self-regulation and personal interest are only partially explained by achievement. Second, it appears that perceived self-regulation drives personal interest, not the other way around. Finally, ways for teachers and schools to sustain perceived self-regulation throughout the high school years are discussed. (Contains 3 tables, 2 figures, and 2 footnotes.)

A latent variable structural model was constructed to test the relations among mothers' and fathers' parenting self-efficacy (PSE), their loneliness, and their child's peer-evaluated social competence, self-evaluated loneliness, teacher-evaluated motivational orientation, and academic skills. In order to do this, first the Self-Efficacy for Parenting Tasks Index (Coleman & Karraker, 2000) was applied to a sample of mothers (n=876) and fathers (n=696) to test the relevance of these parenting task categories to Finnish mothers and fathers. The results of the latent variable structural model indicated a strong relationship between both mothers' and fathers' loneliness and their PSE, consisting of Nurturance, Discipline, Recreation, and Participation factors. Moreover, there was a modest relationship between parents' PSE and their child's social competence and consequently between social competence and child's loneliness. The relationship between PSE and child's academic achievement were mediated via child's social competence. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

Background Our interest in perceived self-regulation of learning arose in the context of educational reform. After decades of stability, the Finnish high school system underwent reform in the 1990s, with a significant emphasis being placed on promoting student self-regulation of learning. Aims The purposes of the study were (1) to evaluate changes in the mean level of perceived self-regulation throughout high school and (2) to evaluate the nature of the developmental relations between achievement, perceived self-regulation, and personal interest. Sample The participants consisted of 245 systematically sampled high school students from a mid-sized Finnish city. Methods T tests for paired samples were employed to assess changes in the level of personal interest and perceived self-regulation. Analysis of the developmental relations was carried out within a structural equations modelling framework. Results The main result was that perceived self-regulation at the beginning of high school predicted not only scholastic achievement at the end of high school over and above prior achievement, but also subsequent personal interest. Additionally, following an international trend, the level of perceived self-regulation decreased from the first to third year of study. Conclusions The study has important theoretical and practical implications. First, the results suggest that perceived self-regulation and personal interest are only partially explained by achievement. Second, it appears that perceived self-regulation drives personal interest, not the other way around. Finally, ways for teachers and schools to sustain perceived self-regulation throughout the high school years are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]