Effects of sequences of socially regulated learning on group performance

Past research shows that regulative activities (metacognitive or relational) can aid learning and that sequences of cognitive, metacognitive and relational activities affect subsequent cognition. Extending this research, this study examines whether sequences of socially regulated learning differ across low, medium or high performing groups. Scaffolded by a computer avatar, 54 primary school students (working in 18 groups of 3) discussed writing a report about a foreign country for 51,338 turns. Statistical discourse analysis (SDA) of these sequences of talk showed that in high performing groups, high cognition was preceded more often by high cognition and less often by denials or low cognition. In medium performing groups, high cognition was preceded more often by high cognition or planning. As these results indicate that different sequences among students' cognitive, metacognitive and relational activities are linked to levels of performance, they can inform a micro-temporal theory of socially shared regulation.