Litrature review of The process of educational development

        An academic achievement cannot bet met successfully, if students don’t know that how they would approach their learning process, and what learning style and strategy would be suitable for them. It is a process, which helps students to actively monitor their self-cognition, motivation as well as behavior that how they would accomplish their academic goals. A science extended program for students is crucial in so many ways, as it allows them to understand the science field, and get ready for the next level. That’s why it is important for students that they adopt learning styles, which would allow them to gain more understanding of the subject, and enrich their knowledge level. The learning style and self-regulated learning strategy allows students to control their own learning process at their own pace, which is good for them. There can be students, who are slow in understanding the concepts, and there can be other ones, who are quick o grab the ideas, so both kind of students would come up with totally different learning and self-regulated learning styles [3]

        Different learning styles and models have been explained by researchers and it is important to compare and contrast few of them to get an idea that how beneficial they can be for students to get success in the extended science degree. The first learning model is the David Kolb’s learning model, which has four stages in the learning process. This model was presented by Kolb in 1984, which can be important for students to develop their learning style inventory. Kolb explained that learning process is the one, where abstract concepts are adopted and then those concepts can be used in various kinds of situations. Kolb also asserted that knowledge can be created by absorbing a learning experience. His four-stage model talks about four pints in the learning cycle including concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. In this process, a student faces a new experience, and then shows reflective observation on that new experience. Then third stage is abstract conceptualization, where reflection helps the student to develop a new idea, and last stage is that learner applies his/her developed idea in the real world situation [4]

Kolb’s Learning Cycle

        As compared to Kolb’s learning style, an alternative learning instrument was developed by Honey and Mumford with the name of Learning Style Questionnaire (LSQ), which is quite different from the Kolb’s model in terms of completing its cycle of learning. In this type, the researchers have talked about four kinds of learners. The first one is “activists”; they are the ones, who build their learning process on the basis of experience. The second type of learners is “reflectors”, who develop their learning process on the basis of reflective observation. The third type is called “theorists”, who learn things by exploring interrelationship of ideas and their relevant association with different concepts. The last kinds of learners are pragmatics, who involve in practical actions to learn about different things. The important thing in this learning style is that focus has been given to learners, and students from the extended science degree program can review these four types to assert that which category they fall into as a learner [4]

        It is important to understand that different learning styles are crucial for the overall learning process, and every learning style can be different in its own ways, but they all serve the same purpose, allow learners to understand the learning process and their own cognitive and learning behaviors in their respective fields. Two learning styles have been mentioned above, which are different to each other. The third important learning style model is Felder-Silverman learning style model. The great thing about this model is that it is not only good for students, but it is also useful for teachers as well to enhance their learning process. Both can understand through this model that what their individual learning style is. There are four dimensions of this model. The first one explains the difference between the active and reflective learner that how differ in their learning approach. The second dimension of the model is to distinguish between visual and verbal learners. The third element of the model talks about sensing vs. intuitive learners. And the last one discusses the sequential vs. global learners [5]. All of these four dimensions help to understand learners and their learning preferences, and this model is quite different from the first two ones mention earlier.

        It is important for students to understand that learning style is not the only important thing, rather regulation of learning is also crucial for the whole learning process. It is extremely important that learners do regulate as well as control their individual learning process. The learning process can be enhanced and managed by individual students by controlling their behavior, motivations as well as meta-cognitive capabilities. The process of meta-cognition is an important one, because it helps learners to get awareness about their cognitive process. It also allows them to exert control over their cognitive process. In the meta-cognition, the individuals can set goals, do self-evaluation and plan things so that they have control over their learning process. In self-regulated learning concept, the learners are not considered passive learners; rather they are the active participants of the learning process [2]

        There are different techniques for the learners to make sure that their learning strategies are improved and help them accordingly in gaining knowledge. Each student may have different goals and different educational backgrounds, when deals with their extended science program. So, it is important for them to look for appropriated strategies. The first strategy in this regard is cognitive learning strategy. In this strategy, the learners have to handle learning material with appropriate strategy so that they can be effective in the learning process. The second strategy for the learning is meta-cognitive learning strategy. In this strategy, the individuals can learn to monitor as well as plan their activities related to their cognitive learning, and they do so by self-regulation of their cognition process. The third strategy for the learners is resource management strategy, which asserts that learning environment of the individuals should be controlled and managed by them, like they have to manage their education environment as well as time to make sure learning process is effective enough [6]

        It is important for students of extended science program or any other field that they have to come up some great self regulated learning strategies so that they can achieve their ultimate academic goals. In recent past, the trend has been observed that self-regulation is key for students in their academic achievements. The students who are better in their self-regulation for learning, they are more likely to perform better than the others, who are not good in self-regulation of their learning. The mental ability should not be mixed with self-regulated learning as both are different things, rather self-regulation is a process, which is directive in nature, and directs the students towards adopting better approach for their learning process. According to Zimmerman, there are three self regulated phases for the learning process, shown in the below figure; [3]

        There are different self regulated models that extended science students can consider for their educational development and learning. These models can really help to gain so much in the academic field, if they are propeller understood and taken with complete focus. One of the considerable works for these students is the work of Zimmerman, who came up with different self regulated learning (SRL) models. The first model developed by Zimmerman is called Triadic Analysis of SRL. This model is crucial for science students as it would allow them to look at three relevant dimensions. The first one is their learning environment, the second one is their person level interest, and the third one is their learning behavior. This model is viable for students to consider their social and learning cognition [7]

        The second model is called Cyclical Phases of SRL, and the third model by Zimmerman is Multi-Level model. This third model can also be crucial for science students to manage their learning process, and come up with best academic achievements. In this model, the students can gain self competency by adopting four elements in their learning process including observation, self control, emulation, and self regulation. The Adaptable Learning Model developed by Boekaert in the 1990s, can also be beneficial for the students as this model comes with two important dimensions. The first dimension is the learning mode and its mastery, whereas the second dimension is the coping mode. This dual process SRL model can help students to concentrate on important dimensions of their learning process, and self regulate it for better academic results [7]

References of The process of educational development