The Role of Self-Regulated Learning in the Professional Development of Elementary Mathematics Teachers

Current reforms in the educational system have raised new goals for
teachers' training concerning professional development (NCTM,
2000). In essence, these goals maintain that teacher training should not
be limited to transmitting subject matter knowledge and pedagogical
knowledge using predefi ned, fi xed methods but fi nd ways to construct
knowledge through self-regulated learning (SRL), applying higherorder
thinking skills. Th e ability to self-regulate learning is essential for
teachers' professional development during their careers as well as for
their ability to promote these processes among students. Research indicates
that, if teachers are incapable of self-regulating their own learning,
it will be impossible for them to develop these capabilities among their
students (Putnam & Borko, 2000). Moreover, research has demonstrated
that learners, across a wide range of ages, are not spontaneously
self-regulated (Azevedo & Cromley, 2004; Kramarski, 2008; Kramarski
& Michalsky, 2009), so it is necessary to implement explicit SRL support.
Following this suggestion, our study addressed the following question.
What is the eff ect of SRL support in professional programs on
mathematics elementary teachers' development?