Teacher Practical Guidance:

Student Planning (Predicting)

Category: Strategy

Rank Order

19

Effect Size

0.83

Achievement Gain %

29

How-To Strategies

BENEFITS


  • Strengthens their metacognition.

 

  • Deepens comprehension.

 

  • Improves long-term learning and independence.

 

  • Students become more strategic, self-directed learners rather than passive recipients of information.

 

  • When students plan (set goals, choose strategies, schedule study), they learn to monitor and control their own thinking, which is linked to higher achievement.

 

  • Pushes students to activate prior knowledge and connect it to new information.

 

  • increases curiosity and personal “stakes” in the result, which can boost motivation to attend, persist, and check understanding.

 

  • They build a sense of competence and control along with a growth mindset.

 

  • they monitor what they know, what they need to do, and how likely they are to meet a goal, which is linked to higher achievement.

 

  • Research summaries classify planning and prediction as a teaching strategy with considerable potential to accelerate student achievement when made explicit and routinely practiced.

 

  • A key life skill building personal agency. link

 

 

 

HOW TO


 

  • Make the purpose explicit –  Explain that planning and prediction are metacognitive strategies that help students control their learning, not just “extra work.”

 

  • Quick daily “plan the work” warm‑ups – Before independent or group work, have students spend 2–3 minutes answering planning prompts: “What is my goal? What are the steps? What will I do first? What do I need?” on a sticky note or in a notebook

 

  • Connect the routine to learning intentions and success criteria so students see how planning and prediction help them reach clearly defined goals.

 

  • Model planning and prediction aloud – Use think‑alouds before a task, verbally model how you set a goal, choose strategies, estimate a score/grade, and anticipate obstacles and resources.

 

  • Repeat this in multiple subjects (e.g., reading, math, writing) so students see planning and prediction as a general habit, not a one‑off activity.

 

  • Provide brief written prompts before work time, such as: “What is my goal? What are the steps? How long will each step take? What resources will I use?”

 

  • Use planners, checklists, or graphic organizers that require students to record their plan and a concrete prediction (score, time to finish, or expected level on a rubric).

 

  • Ask students to predict their performance before tests, assignments, or discussions (e.g., “I predict: ___/10” or “I expect to meet/exceed standard because…”).

 

  • After the task, have students compare their prediction to the actual result and answer a few reflection questions: “Where was I accurate? Where was I off? Why?”

 

  • Prompt them to name one specific change to their future plan (start earlier, use practice tests, seek feedback, change study environment) based on this comparison. link

 

 

 

 

CHALLENGES


  • Many students believe that “good” learning is easy and quick, so effortful strategies like planning and prediction feel unnecessary or “too hard,” leading to low buy‑in.

 

  • Lack concrete knowledge about what effective planning looks like (e.g., setting specific goals, choosing strategies, allocating time).

 

  • Building planning and prediction into lessons requires time for modelling, guided practice, reflection, and feedback, which can feel at odds with content‑coverage pressures and pacing guides.

 

  • It is hard to see students’ internal planning and predicting processes, so teachers must rely on tools like think‑alouds, written reflections, or checklists, which add to workload. link

 

 

 

WHAT NOT TO DO


  • Don’t let students set goals like “do better in math” or “study more” without pushing for specificity, criteria for success, and a concrete plan.

 

  • Don’t impose all the goals yourself (purely compliance goals); students need personally meaningful, self-endorsed aims.

 

  • Don’t keep metacognition at the level of “try your best” or “check your work” without tying strategies to specific subjects and tasks.

 

  • Don’t jump in too quickly to “fix” plans or solve obstacles for them; first prompt students to identify what went wrong and generate alternatives.

 

  • Don’t design plans that depend mainly on adult reminders and structures; students should practice setting cues, check-ins, and help-seeking routines.

 

  • Don’t skip regular, structured check-ins on goals.  link

How-To Resources

ARTICLE


Link – ARTICLE (Learning z) Metacognition in the classroom

 

Link – ARTICLE (NZ) Self regulated learning

 

Link – ARTICLE (Wikipedia) Self-regulated learning

 

Link – ARTICLE (Cornell) Metacognitive strategies

 

Link – ARTICLE (Weareteachers) 19 metacognitive strategies

 

Link – ARTICLE (Exec Functioning) What is a prediction tool?

 

Link – ARTICLE (Learning Scientist) Can students predict performance?

 

Link – ARTICLE (Novak) Self assessment

 

Link – ARTICLE (Harvard) Enhancing students executive function skills

 

Link – ARTICLE (Edutopia) Engagement from choice and voice

 

Link – ARTICLE (Auora) Student Agency

 

Link – ARTICLE (Smilansky) Planning with young children

 

Link – ARTICLE (Smilansky) Play and Planning

 

Link – ARTICLE (Powerschool) Personalized learning

 

 

 

RESEARCH / REPORT


Link – RESEARCH (NIH) Predicting as a learning strategy

 

Link – REPORT (UK) Metacognition and self regulated learning

 

Link – RESEARCH (NIH) Implementing self-regulated learning

 

 

 

PROGRAM


Link – PROGRAM (HS) High Scope

 

Link – PROGRAM (Reggio) Reggio Emilia model

 

Link – PROGRAM (Montessori) Montessori

 

Link – PROGRAM (Zimmerman) Self-reguated learning

 

Link – PROGRAM (Responsive) Responsive Curriculum

 

Link – PROGRAM (Zimmerman) Self regulated learning

 

Link – PROGRAM (EC) Self determined model

 

Link – PROGRAM (Powerschool) Personalized learning

 

 

 

VIDEO


Link – VIDEO (YouTube) Self-regulated learning

 

Link – VIDEO (YouTube) Self-regulated learning explained

 

Link – VIDEO (YouTube) Self regulated learning and Albert Bandura

 

Link – VIDEO (YouTube) Goal setting notebook in Google classroom

 

 

DIGITAL


  • Sown to grow – student planning platform link

 

  • Seesaw – student portfolio link

 

  • Trello – visual collaboration tool link

 

  • Padlet – goal tracking platform and collaboration space link

 

 

References

Bandura, A. (2006). Toward a psychology of human agency. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 1(2)

 

Backers L, Van Keer H. (2025).  Implementing Self-Regulated Learning in Classrooms: Connecting What Primary School Teachers Think and Do Through Video-Based Observations and Interviews. Behav Sci (Basel). 26;15(12)

 

Bandura, A. (1989). Regulation of Cognitive Processes Through Perceived Self-Efficacy. Developmental Psychology, 25(5)

 

Brod G. (2021). Predicting as a learning strategy. Psychon Bull Rev.

 

Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make it stick: The science of successful learning.

 

Dignath (2016). What determines whether teachers enhance self-regulated learning? Predicting teachers’ reported promotion of self-regulated learning by teacher beliefs, knowledge, and self-efficacy. Frontline Learning Research.

 

Donker, de Boer, Kostons, van Ewijk, & Van der Werf (2014). Effectiveness of learning strategy instruction on academic performance: A meta-analysis. Educational Research Review.

 

Haberkorn, K., Lockl, K., Pohl, S., Ebert, S., & Weinert, S. (2014). Metacognitive knowledge in children at early elementary school. Metacognition and Learning, 9(3)

 

Jonassen, D. H. (2009). Learning to solve problems: An instructional design guide. Gifted and Talented International, 24(2), 153–154

 

Kim, Y-E., Zepeda, C. D., & Butler, A. C. (2023). An interdisciplinary review of self-regulation of learning: Bridging cognitive and educational psychology perspectives. Educational Psychology Review, 35, 92.

 

Khosa, D. K., & Volet, S. E. (2014). Productive group engagement in cognitive activity and metacognitive regulation during collaborative learning: Can it explain differences in students’ conceptual understanding? Metacognition and Learning, 9, 287–307.

 

Kruger, J., & Dunning, D. (1999). Unskilled and unaware of it: how difficulties in recognizing one’s own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 1121-1134.

 

Kuhl J. (2000). “A functional-design approach to motivation and self-regulation,” in Handbook of Self-Regulation eds Boekaerts M., Pintrich P. R., Zeidner M. (San Diego, CA: Academic Press; )

 

Moos D. C., Ringdal A. (2012). Self-regulated learning in the classroom: a literature review on the teacher’s role. Educ. Res. Int.

 

Narengaowa, Tungalag O. (2024).  Research on metacognitive strategies of children’s self-regulated learning. Health Psychol Res.

 

Panadero E. (2017) A Review of Self-regulated Learning: Six Models and Four Directions for Research. Front Psychol.

 

Paris S. G., Newman R. S. (1990). Developmental aspects of self-regulated learning. Educ. Psychol. 25 87–102.

 

Perry, J., Lundie, D., & Golder, G. (2019). Metacognition in schools: What does the literature suggest about the effectiveness of teaching metacognition in schools? Educational Review, 71(4), 483–500.

 

Pintrich P. R., de Groot E. V. (1990). Motivational and self-regulated learning components of classroom academic performance. J. Educ. Psychol. 82 33–40.

 

Pintrich P. R. (2003). A motivational science perspective on the role of student motivation in learning and teaching contexts. J. Educ. Psychol. 95 667–686.

 

Rieser, S., Naumann, A., Decristan, J., Fauth, B., Klieme, E., & Büttner, G. (2016). The connection between teaching and learning: Linking teaching quality and metacognitive strategy use in primary school. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 86(4)

 

Schunk D. H. (2005). Self-regulated learning: the educational legacy of Paul R. Pintrich. Educ. Psychol. 40 85–94

 

Winne P. H., Hadwin A. F. (1998). “Studying as self-regulated engagement in learning,” in Metacognition in Educational Theory and Practice eds Hacker D., Dunlosky J., Graesser A. (Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum;

 

Winne P. H., Hadwin A. F. (2008). “The weave of motivation and self-regulated learning,” inMotivation and Self-Regulated Learning: Theory, Research and Applications eds Schunk D. H., Zimmerman B. J. (New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates; )

 

Wolters C. A. (2003). Regulation of motivation: evaluating an underemphasized aspect of self-regulated learning. Educ. Psychol. 38

 

Zimmerman B. J., Campillo M. (2003). “Motivating self-regulated problem solvers,” in The Nature of Problem Solving eds Davidson J. E., Sternberg R. J. (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press; )

 

Zimmerman, B. J., Bandura, A., & Martinez-Pons, M. (1992). Self-motivation for academic attainment: The role of self-efficacy beliefs and personal goal setting. American Educational Research Journal, 29(3)

 

Zimmerman B. J. (1989). A social cognitive view of self-regulated academic learning.J. Educ. Psychol. 81 329–339.

Student Planning (Predicting)

 

DEFINITION

Student Planning & Predicting: Refers to learners intentionally deciding how they will approach a task and anticipating what is likely to happen in their learning as a result. More concretely, it involves students:

  • Setting goals, scheduling time, and choosing strategies and resources before they begin work (planning).

  • Making informed “best guesses” about outcomes (e.g., how well they will perform, what content will come next, what solution or result they expect) based on prior knowledge and available cues (predicting).

  • Using the comparison between their plans/predictions and actual results to adjust strategies, effort, and understanding in future tasks.  link

 

 

DATA

  • 3 Meta Analysis reviews

  • 157 Research studies

  • 3 Confidence level. link

QUOTES

 

Self‑regulated learners are aware of their strengths and weaknesses and can motivate themselves to engage in, and improve, their learning.A self‑regulated learning cycle consists of planning, monitoring, and reflecting on learning.