Abrami, Philip C.

Self-Regulated Learning in Kenyan Classrooms: A Test of ePEARL, a Process e-Portfolio

By Lysenko, Larysa

To align with Kenya 2030 Vision of education for self-reliance, there is a growing need for classroom instruction that develops students' capacity to be in control of their learning. This paper reports a two-year study that tested feasibility of implementing ePEARL, an e-portfolio, in the context of Kenyan public schools. By design, the digital portfolio supports the key learning processes though the phases of self-regulated learning -- forethought, performance, and self-reflection. In this study, students (N=137) from four secondary classrooms used the tool as part of classroom instruction to complete their project assignments. Repeated measures analyses revealed that, over-time, students who demonstrated fuller use of ePEARL made significantly higher gains and reported higher level of self-regulated strategies compared to their classmates who hardly used the tool. The results suggest that in order to yield important benefits, the tool should be meaningfully integrated into classroom instruction.