Understanding the Underlying Processes for College Students' Changes Following Metacognition and Time Management Workshops

Paper presented virtually at the American Educational Research Association.

Researchers and higher education practitioners have used study strategy interventions, such as workshops, as a method to intervene in and buffer against the challenges college students have faced for decades. Prior research has supported the value of such interventions to student success; however, the elements and processes for change that underlie effective interventions are not clear. We utilized a qualitative methodology to identify nuance and subjective details related to students’ experiences with a workshop intervention focused on metacognition and time management in an undergraduate biology course. Findings point to three themes related to the workshops that had an impact on students’ study strategies: receptivity to workshop content, desire and ability to change, and conditions for change.