The Interaction between cognitive and motivational co-regulated processes on a collaborative task

Co-regulated learning (CRL) describes the social processes group members employ to regulate their shared work on a joint task. While recent research has certainly added to our understanding of CRL, most studies have focused on either co-regulation of cognitive (e.g., planning, monitoring, evaluation) or motivational (e.g., efficacy, attributions) processes ignoring the interaction between these processes. This study examined cognitive and motivational instances of co-regulation within two, sixth grade collaborative groups (N=8) in order to explain how these processes inter-related and co-occurred. Results of the analysis indicated that agreement and interest led to sustained co-regulation of cognitive processes, while verbal put-downs thwarted it. Understanding how cognitive and motivational processes co-occur and interact not only adds to our understanding of CRL, but can be used in practice to improve how peers interact within collaborative contexts.