Supporting Metacognition in Writing Strategy Instruction: Effective Learning Strategies for the First-Year Student and Beyond

Abstract

To meet the challenges of college, students need to develop not only knowledge and academic strategies but also strategies for self-regulated learning. For the past decade, the Supporting Strategic Writers (SSW) project has developed and evaluated instructional approaches that include strategies for critical reading and writing integrated with metacognitive strategies for learning. Two years of design research (MacArthur & Philippakos, 2012) and three experimental studies in developmental courses (MacArthur et al., 2015; 2022; 2023) have found large effects on the quality of writing and positive effects on motivational factors like self-efficacy and affect. The authors explain how they have adapted the learning, reading, and writing strategies for use across the curriculum, including first-year experience courses, summer bridge programs, ESL, and upper-level courses.