A paradigm shift in learning strategy research: Illustration and example of a within-person examination

Although research on learning strategies has contributed to improving learners' performance, most studies only described the characteristics of learners. These approaches have focused on inter-individual differences and their correlations, making it difficult to examine the process of selecting learning strategies in individuals. To examine the correlations within individual learners, such as the variables that influence the use of a strategy by a specific learner, two surveys were conducted in this study. Perceived cost and perceived benefit of using each strategy as the influential variables on choosing a strategy were adopted with reference to decision-making research. Perceived cost consisted of the time perspective for learning outcomes by the learning strategy and the method of learning strategy implementation. In Study 1, cognitive strategies that have a direct impact on the acquisition of learning content were measured, and metacognitive strategies that monitor and regulate one's own learning behavior were examined in Study 2. The variables were treated for each individual to calculate intra-class and within-person correlations, although data were collected using a typical questionnaire survey in learning strategy studies. Hierarchical Bayesian modeling was conducted with use of the learning strategy as the objective variable and the perceived costs and benefits as explanatory variables. The analysis revealed that, in terms of cognitive strategies (Study 1), learners avoided using learning strategies perceived to have a high cost in the short term; however, they used cognitive strategies regardless of the circumstances. Furthermore, regarding metacognitive strategies (Study 2), students avoided using learning strategies that they perceived as costly to use in the short term and used them only when they suited the circumstances. On the other hand, in metacognitive strategies (Study 2), students avoided using learning strategies that they perceived as costly to use for the next test and use as appropriate for the situation. Focusing on within-individual variance and correlation made the interpretation of factors that influence the choice of learning strategies more intuitive and provided more suggestions for educational practice.