Choosing What to Study: Do Internal Judgments Predict Study-Time Allocation Intentions over and above External Agendas?
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| Title: | Choosing What to Study: Do Internal Judgments Predict Study-Time Allocation Intentions over and above External Agendas? |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Brendan A. Schuetze (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Educational Psychology. 2026 118(2):176-193. |
| Availability: | American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 18 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Science Foundation (NSF) |
| Contract Number: | 2238567 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Time Management, Time on Task, Study Habits, Student Motivation, Relevance (Education), Goal Orientation, Course Descriptions, Cues, Familiarity, Educational Environment, Environmental Influences, Undergraduate Students, Self Efficacy, Units of Study, Achievement Tests |
| Geographic Terms: | Texas |
| DOI: | 10.1037/edu0000989 |
| ISSN: | 0022-0663 1939-2176 |
| Abstract: | Research on how students allocate their study time has focused primarily on the influence of goals (often called "agendas") and metacognitive judgments (learners' perceptions of how well they know the material). Studies of agenda-based study time allocation have typically operationalized agendas using explicit point values assigned to learning different material in the context of in-lab word-pair learning tasks. The present study extends this agenda-based regulation framework to more educationally realistic settings through in-lab manipulations of course structure presented in a syllabus (Studies 1 and 2) and observational data from study planning exercises in real classes (Studies 3 and 4). The present studies allowed for the comparison of the predictive utility of internal learner judgments in addition to external agendas. Specifically, we included external agenda-related cues (e.g., whether a unit would be tested, whether exams were cumulative, the expected number of exam questions) and internal judgments (e.g., interest, difficulty, confidence) to determine whether students' internal judgments predict study time over and above external agendas. Across the four studies, external agendas accounted for substantial variance in students' study time allocation intentions and in three of the four studies, internal judgments explained relatively little variance over and above the explanatory power provided by external agenda-related cues. The fourth study showed more optimistic estimates for the amount of variance explained by internal judgments. Nevertheless, the relative importance of internal judgements and external cues varied with context, underscoring the importance of investigating metacognitive regulation using educationally relevant materials and real-world educational settings. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Notes: | https://osf.io/w62xg |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1507484 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Research on how students allocate their study time has focused primarily on the influence of goals (often called "agendas") and metacognitive judgments (learners' perceptions of how well they know the material). Studies of agenda-based study time allocation have typically operationalized agendas using explicit point values assigned to learning different material in the context of in-lab word-pair learning tasks. The present study extends this agenda-based regulation framework to more educationally realistic settings through in-lab manipulations of course structure presented in a syllabus (Studies 1 and 2) and observational data from study planning exercises in real classes (Studies 3 and 4). The present studies allowed for the comparison of the predictive utility of internal learner judgments in addition to external agendas. Specifically, we included external agenda-related cues (e.g., whether a unit would be tested, whether exams were cumulative, the expected number of exam questions) and internal judgments (e.g., interest, difficulty, confidence) to determine whether students' internal judgments predict study time over and above external agendas. Across the four studies, external agendas accounted for substantial variance in students' study time allocation intentions and in three of the four studies, internal judgments explained relatively little variance over and above the explanatory power provided by external agenda-related cues. The fourth study showed more optimistic estimates for the amount of variance explained by internal judgments. Nevertheless, the relative importance of internal judgements and external cues varied with context, underscoring the importance of investigating metacognitive regulation using educationally relevant materials and real-world educational settings. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0022-0663 1939-2176 |
| DOI: | 10.1037/edu0000989 |
