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Self-monitoring and at-risk middle school students. Academic performance improves, maintains, and generalizes
Susan J Wood1, Jane Y Murdock, Mary E Cronin
1University of New Orleans, USA.
Behavior Modification
|October 12, 2002
Summary
Teaching self-monitoring skills significantly boosted academic performance for at-risk middle school students. These gains persisted across settings and into the next school year, highlighting the intervention
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Behavioral Interventions
- Academic Achievement
Background:
- At-risk middle school students often face academic challenges.
- Effective interventions are needed to improve student performance and behavior.
- Self-monitoring is a potential strategy to address these needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of teaching self-monitoring on at-risk middle school students.
- To assess the generalizability and maintenance of self-monitoring intervention effects.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of self-monitoring in a charter school setting.
Main Methods:
- A multiple baseline design was employed across six academic settings.
- Four at-risk middle school students participated in the study.
- Academic performance was measured by grades and related academic behaviors.
Main Results:
- Self-monitoring instruction led to marked improvements in students' grades and academic behaviors.
- Improvements generalized to settings without self-monitoring training.
- Academic gains were maintained in the subsequent school year.
Conclusions:
- Self-monitoring is a highly effective intervention for improving academic outcomes in at-risk middle school students.
- The benefits of self-monitoring extend beyond trained settings and are durable over time.
- This intervention shows promise for widespread application in diverse educational environments.
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