The Challenges of Classroom Strategy Instruction

Abstract

In the first section of this article, a model of good strategy use is reviewed. Good strategy users know many strategies and much information about when and where to use them. They are reflective and have low anxiety. They possess beliefs about themselves and performance that are compatible with good strategy use (e. g., that they can do well by using the right approaches). These beliefs motivate use of strategies. Good strategy users can combine strategies proficiently and often execute strategic sequences automatically. Good strategy use is complex and thus calls for prolonged and detailed instruction. The second part of the article reviews the enormous challenges involved in teaching strategies. For instance, there are many strategies. They are best acquired when classroom teaching is interactive, with teacher-provided, responsive feedback. Many students are committed to ineffective strategies, largely because people are not proficient at strategy monitoring. Moreover, there is not enough professional evaluation of techniques that are recommended in the literature, with many strategies oversold by proponents. More positively, researchers are identifying strategies that can be taught profitably, when strategy instruction is beneficial, and how to do it more effectively. The third section of the article provides suggestions for teachers who want to begin teaching strategies in their classrooms.