Self-Management Strategies - Coursework Example

Self-Management Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Self-Management Self-management involves setting goals and managing time and is a skill that helps one throughout their life. Developing concentration skills and motivation are essential in overcoming the lure of procrastination (Malott, 2005). To students, effective self-management provides them with more opportunities and helps them get involved in fun school activities and avoid stress. Self-regulation is a critical skill in self-management as it refers to individuals directing, controlling and monitoring their learning aspects by themselves. Wood et al. (1998) observes that self-management plans teach students to assume active roles in reinforcing and monitoring their behavior and independently complete tasks. Fostering independence and self-reliance is an important goal in education. Before any problem behaviors happen, self-management strategies can be executed (Nelson et al. 1991). Self-management strategies can be used to decrease problem behavior as well as improve academic performance, time-on-task, and productivity. As children grow into adulthood, they develop critical success skills engendered by practical abilities of self-management strategies (Gumpel & David, 2000). Evaluating progress, monitoring behavior and setting goals are essential elements of self-management. Self-management consists of self-reinforcement, self-evaluation and self-monitoring (Wood et al. 1998). For example, a student engaging in self-monitoring observes his or her behavior; records on a data collection form its occurrence and evaluate progress in developing graphs from the data. As they work towards those goals, students to set their objectives encouraged by self-evaluation strategies as they compare their current performance (Watson & Tharp, 1997). Self-reinforcement strategies are often used with both self-evaluation and self-monitoring. By determining how he or she will evaluate progress, a student takes an active role in delivering a reinforcer to himself or herself hence utilizing self-reinforcement strategies towards a particular goal. Personal responsibility and self-management are skills students learn and not characteristics present at birth as they do academic skills or social behavior (Watson & Tharp, 1997; Worthington, 1977). Students are taught to be conscious of their conduct, the magnitude of a behavior matching those expectations and the teacher expectations (Stevens & Levi, 2005). With the increase in self-awareness among students, they produce positive outcomes and learn to adjust their behavior to meet the standards. Students experience greater academic success while teachers' classroom management duties are lightened as they assume responsibility for their actions. Benefits of Self-Management Self-management strategies engage students in self-reinforcement, self-evaluation, and self-monitoring and are intended to build a student’s independence and abilities. Developing a feeling of control over one’s behavior extols the power of self-management (Stevens & Levi, 2005). The power of a reinforcer is often decreased in an attempt to control a student’s behavior hence a problem behavior more likely to occur and the self-management plan made less efficient. Evidence from participants exposed to self-management tactics have shown improved accuracy study habits, productivity, and academic performance despite the self-management training ethical and practical challenges in conducting research (Gumpel & David, 2000). Young et al. (1998) affirms that using both scientific methodology and logical thinking, and students have gained meaningful practice and developed test-taking skills through class participation. The benefits of self-management have been increased the ability of participants to reduce off-task behavior in class, better cope with panic attacks, reduce nail biting and teeth grinding and over-eating. Worthington (1977) observed that with the use of self-management assignments students reported high satisfaction while knowledge of behavioral-change procedures. The use of self-management techniques increased and (Bennett-Levy et al., 2001) so are the skills in dealing with clients. The correct use of self-evaluation and self-monitoring procedures for appropriate classroom behavior is administered by teacher reinforcement. Tichenor (1977) suggests that student self-reinforcement such as self-praise gradually replaces the teacher delivered reinforcement as students become proactive in the use of the self-management strategies. Self-management strategies are interactive, distinct programs that are inseparable. For example, self-evaluation and self-monitoring with reinforcement frequently occurring, repeats a cycle ad often follow one another (Kazemi et al. 2004; Tichenor, 1977). Learning to accept and manage responsibility in family, personal life, school, and at work is a characteristic of one's behavior that has broad application (Worthington, 1977). The quality of life of an individual can be improved by this lifelong skill through helping her or him to attain desired goals and to put her or him more in control of her or his behavior. It is assumed by most adults that students automatically learn these skills, but some individuals tend to obtain these skills by way of trial and error or by observing others (Kazemi et al. 2004). Unless they are taught, many students at risk or those with disabilities never will develop self-management skills (Stevens & Levi, 2005). Behavioral and cognitive procedures constitute self-management that are subsequently reinforced and taught directly until it becomes habitual or automatic. The self-management strategies discussed here self-reinforcement; self-evaluation and self-monitoring can be adjusted for almost any student with a social or academic problem (Tichenor, 1977). Programs with demonstrated positive outcomes are recommended for use by teachers use since they are established and help them to be confident in teaching self-management procedures (Gumpel & David, 2000). A program tailored to a particular student or situation can extol the basic principles to design when used by an experienced teacher. When students are reinforced for doing so and taught how to do it, teachers will find that they will take responsibility willingly for their behavior. Through application of theories, scientific design and research in psychology, students gain personal benefits out of a well-designed self-management project (Gumpel & David, 2000; Young et al. 1998). Reasons for teaching Self-Management skills to students Teaching self-management skills enables us to produce self-controlled individuals and target our goals in the psychology major. On the ideal aim of education, a major concern for many educators is managing classroom behavior since constant challenges leaves teachers emotionally and physically drained (Worthington, 1977). Students' social development and academic performance frequently suffer and often delayed when an orderly learning environment is demanded out of teachers are required to focus on it most of their energy. Teachers can pay attention to academic programs and direct more of their time through self-management system (Wood et al. 1998). An important teaching objective, self-management is a lifelong skill that allows one to take responsibility for one's behavior. For example, if John is a disruptive student, he can damage other students as well besides his education. Non-disruptive students could benefit from learning self-management strategies as they too experience learning difficulties (Nelson et al. 1991; Tichenor, 1977). In the case above, Tom who is one of John’s middle school classmates, does not work activities well or manage his time, and is often unmotivated hence requires a great deal of supervision and adult direction (Tichenor, 1977). Successful students observe due dates, specific instructions and typically write down assignments by planning ahead to complete assignments on time. Before turning it in, they check their work for neatness, accuracy and completeness (Nelson et al. 1991). Such students usually have a good idea of what is needed for them to improve their grades and how they are doing in class. Conversely, students like Tom, who receive failing or unsatisfactory grades and struggle academically, have unrealistic perceptions and seldom monitor their academic assignments and performance. By continually managing academic behavior, parents and teachers are relieved of the responsibility of increasing learning by teaching students to monitor their academic performance. A curriculum for teaching self-management strategies was developed by Young et al. (1991) in programs for at-risk youth, general education settings and classes for students with disabilities. Implementation of these programs led to improvements in both academic performances and classroom behavior in high schools, middle and elementary schools. As learned earlier, the approach of self-management uses basic strategies as positive reinforcement, self-evaluation (including goal setting and decision making) and self-monitoring (Wood et al. 1998). Self-monitoring consists of teaching students to record the number of occurrences and reflect upon their recent performance by rating their overall quality of their performance and behaviors (Stevens & Levi, 2005). A second procedure called the Classroom Performance Record (CPR) was developed to help students improve their academic performance by assuming responsibility for their actions (Kazemi et al. 2004). On items that most teachers regard as important, students can quickly evaluate performance and self-monitor. Young et al. (1991) observes through a survey in Utah that particular grading requirements by individual teachers are commonly required of students despite exclusion from the form. They found that particularly those in secondary schools, similar work in other parts of the United States reflected these items (Young et al. 1998). Students on academic self-monitoring programs learn to record and identify class assignments, tests turned in after completion, due dates of tests and the number of points probably on assignments (Gumpel & David, 2000). Using that information from a week to week, on how they can improve their grades students can learn to self-evaluate their academic progress and make decisions. During the fall semester of 2008 a study of 74 undergraduate students of California State University, Northridge (CSUN) who had enrolled in a course on Learning and Behavior (Moxley, 2009). For this study, they consented to the use of their self-management assignments in which the benefits reflected increased level of self-management skills among college students. Therefore, self-management skills improved learning skills in dealing with clients and knowledge of behavioral change procedures (Young et al. 1997). Reference list Gumpel T & David S 2000, Exploring the efficacy of self-regulatory training as a possible alternative to social skills training. Behavioral Disorders, 25(2),131-141. Kazemi E Rice B Rylander A & Morgan SF 2004, The Benefits of Teaching Self-Management Skills to Students of Psychology. Journal of Instructional Psychology, Vol. 38, No. 4. 235-241. Malott D 2005, Self-Management. In M. Hersen & J. Rosqvist (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Behavior Modification and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (Vol. l, pp.516-521).Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Moxley RA 2009, Treatment-only designs and student self-recording as strategies for public school teachers. Education and Treatment of Children, 21, 37-61. Nelson JR Smith DJ Young KR & Dodd J 1991, A review of self-management procedures for children and youth with behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders, 16(3), 169-179. Stevens D & Levi A 2005, Introduction to Rubrics: An assessment tool to save grading time, convey effective feedback, and promote student learning. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing. Tichenor J 1977, Self-monitoring and self-reinforcement of studying by college students. Psychological Reports, 40(1), 103-108. Watson DL & Tharp R 1997, Self-directed behavior: Self-modification for personal adjustment (7th ed.). Belmont, CA US: Thomson Brooks/Cole Publishing Co. Wood S Murdock J Cronin M Dawson N & Kirby P 1998, Effects of self-monitoring on on-task behaviors of at-risk middle school students. Journal of Behavioral Education, 8(2), 263- 279. Worthington E 1977, Honesty and success in self-modification projects for a college class. Teaching of Psychology, 4(2),78-82. Young KR West RP Smith DJ & Morgan DP 1991, Teaching self-management strategies to adolescents. Longmont, co: Sopris West. Young KR West RP Li L & Peterson L 1997, Teaching Self-Management Skills to Students with Learning and Behavior Problems. Reclaiming Women and Youth. Vol. 6(2): 90-96. Read More