Dr. Deborah L. Butler

 

 

Research Projects

Interventions that Support Adolescents and Adults with Learning Disabilities

 “Strategic Content Learning” (SCL) is a theoretically-grounded instructional approach designed to support the needs of adolescents and adults with learning disabilities. SCL promotes academic success by assisting students to learn how to develop personalized strategies for completing important academic tasks (e.g., reading, writing, math problem-solving). I have conducted a series of studies investigating SCL when used to support students with learning disabilities in secondary and postsecondary settings.

First, I demonstrated that SCL is an effective approach for structuring support for postsecondary students with learning disabilities. Participants were not just University students, but also students who were returning to college for academic upgrading after struggling in previous educational experiences. Research showed that SCL promotes successful academic performance by students tackling a wide variety of tasks while enrolled in upgrading, vocational, professional, and academic programs. SCL was successful when used to structure one-on-one tutoring, peer tutoring, or small-group instruction (see conference presentations & publication list).

More recently, my research has focused on how SCL can be adapted by teachers in secondary schools to support the needs of their students. I have worked collaboratively with teachers to develop instructional practices for use in support settings (i.e., learning assistance or resource classrooms), and in whole classrooms (e.g., an English or Humanities classroom). Positive outcomes associated with SCL in secondary contexts have also been observed (see conference presentations & publication list).

Research into Self-Regulated Learning  

My research program focuses on theoretical issues related to the development of self-regulated learning, not only by students with learning disabilities, but by all learners. Publications and presentations reflecting this emphasis include:

 

1.    A theoretical review of feedback’s role in self-regulated learning (see Butler & Winne, 1995).

2.   Descriptions of classroom practices that support self-regulated learning (e.g., my upcoming article in Theory into Practice (Butler, in press).

3.   Papers that analyze the relationship between interactive instruction, knowledge construction, and students’ development of self-regulation (e.g., the 1998 article in the Journal of Learning Disabilities; instructional analyses of SCL instruction presented at the AERA conference in 1996 and at the APA conference in 1998).

4.   A review of research on metacognition and its relevance to the field of learning disabilities (Butler, 1998).

5.   A description of the roles of goal setting and self-monitoring in self-regulated learning (see the 1997 AERA conference presentation).

6.   Analyses of how students’ academic performance is undermined by problems in self-regulation, across reading, writing, and math tasks (CEC and AERA conference papers in 1999). 

7.   An analysis of how peers can support each others’ self-regulated approaches to learning (see the 2000 AERA conference paper).

Professional Development that Promotes Sustained and Meaningful Shifts in Practice

As part of a project designed to support the development of strategic, or self-regulated, learning by secondary students with learning disabilities, I have worked collaboratively with teachers to develop and evaluate a professional development model that promotes sustained and meaningful shifts in practice. Rather than offering one-stop “workshops” that disseminate information about best practices to teachers, the professional development model I am investigating involves engaging teachers in constructing, monitoring, and revising instructional strategies that promote self-regulated learning in their particular instructional contexts. Descriptions of the professional development model and associated outcomes are available (see conference presentations and publication list).

Collaborative, Community-Based Research

In 1999, I was invited to engage in a collaborative, community-initiated research project by personnel from a local inner-city agency. The goal of this project was to investigate educational opportunities available in the community, consider barriers to women’s participation in educational activities, and make recommendations for developing or revising educational initiatives. As part of the project, we conducted a “self-reflective” case study of the research process. The goals of this case study were to document the process of constructing a respectful and collaborative project, and to gather recommendations (from community and university participants) regarding how to best structure such projects. A primary report of outcomes from the project and the “self-reflective” case study report will be available shortly (see conference presentations and publication list).