Self-regulation strategies to support agency and inclusion in adolescent students

Abstract

This paper analyzes the educational transition of adolescents, framing it as a strategic challenge for autonomy and the learning process (Zimmerman, 2000). Difficulties during this stage expose students to the risk of early school leaving (MIM, 2023) and compromise their agency (Bandura, 1997), which is here understood as a crucial device for educational equity and justice (Fabbri, 2025). Adopting a mixed-methods design on a sample of N=204 students, the study explores the nexus between mindset, self-determination, and self-regulated learning (SRL) (Deci & Ryan, 2017) through an action research intervention (Scurati & Zanniello, 1993) implemented in a university context (Ranieri & Gaggioli, 2025). The findings highlight marked decisional uncertainty and a perceived inadequacy of study strategies (De Beni et alii, 2014), with particularly acute vulnerabilities observed among students with SEN (Batini, 2015). The article proposes the development of SRL, grounded in UDL principles (CAST, 2011), as a pivotal tool to foster agency and inclusion, transforming the adolescent from an at-risk subject into an active agent of their own educational path.