Uppeldi og menntun - 01.07.2012, Page 39

Uppeldi og menntUn/icelandic JoUrnal of edUcation 21(2) 2012 39
S t e i n U n n g eS tS d Ót t i r
Zimmerman, B. J., og Schunk, D. H. (ritstjórar). (2001). Self-regulated learning and aca-
demic achievement: Theoretical perspectives (2. útgáfa). Mahwah: Erlbaum.
Greinin barst tímaritinu 16. mars 2012 og var samþykkt til birtingar 25. júní 2012
um hÖfundinn
Steinunn Gestsdóttir (steinuge@hi.is) er dósent í þroskasálfræði við Menntavísindasvið
Háskóla Íslands. Hún lauk meistaragráðu í þroskasálfræði frá Boston-háskóla árið
2001 og doktorsgráðu frá Tufts-háskóla í hagnýtri þroskasálfræði. Rannsóknir Stein-
unnar hafa snúið að þróun sjálfstjórnunar meðal barna og ungmenna og hvernig hún
tengist æskilegri þroskaframvindu, einkum aðlögun barna að grunnskóla og tengslum
við áhættuhegðun og æskilegan þroska á unglingsaldri.
The development and role of self-regulation in
childhood and adolescence: An overview of the field
and implications for educators in Iceland
AbstrAct
In the past decade, there has been a vast increase in the interest and study of self-
regulation among children and adolescents across the world. However, limited
discussion has taken place about the nature and role of self-regulatory skills among
practitioners and the public in Iceland and few studies have focused on the self-
regulatory skills of Icelandic participants. The goal of the current article is to provide
a comprehensive overview of the construct of self-regulation and related research
in Icelandic. The article addresses the construct of self-regulation, describes the
development of self-regulatory abilities across childhood and adolescence, discuss-
es research that demonstrates the role of self-regulatory skills for various aspects of
positive and problematic development, and considers the implications of current
research for educators and other practitioners in Iceland.
More specifically, the author reviews current theoretical conceptions of self-
regulation and discusses some of the issues that such a young field of study is
currently struggling with. There is still considerable debate about how to define the
term self-regulation, which may partly be due to the fact that current research is based
on different theoretical and empirical traditions, ranging from neuropsychology to
educational studies. However, many definitions differentiate between “hot” (emotion)
and “cold” (cognitive) self-regulation processes. But, in general, most definitions of
self-regulation refer to the conscious control that a person has over his or her own
emotions, thinking, and behaviors.