The role of cognitive, motivational and temporal dynamics in learning processes

Abstract

Over the last decades, European education policies have encouraged the Member States to develop training programs to raise the instructional levels of the population and to foster the acquisition of key competences, in order to ensure lifelong learning for all citizens (Europe 2020). However, there is still greater attention to knowledge transfer and a lesser emphasis on metacognitive and affective-motivational dimensions in formal learning contexts. While, these
latest factors are strongly related to the development of strategic skills and the ability to project into the future.
This research shows the results found from administering two questionnaires to 500 students from General Didactics Course of Roma Tre University: the «Learning Strategies Questionnaire» (Pellerey & Orio, 1996) and the «Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory» (Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999; Tr. it. M. Riccucci, 2009). The project is aimed at stimulating University students’ reflection and self-assessment on learning strategies and time perspectives and promoting the
ability to direct themselves in study and work. The results show how academic success is related both to good strategic competences and to the future time perspective.