Examining students' retrospective memories of strategy development

Two studies were conducted to assess students' self-reported use of cogniti ve study strategies. Both studies used a written survey to assess where and when students were introduced to their preferred study strategies. The Ist study compared high school and university students. The 2nd study compared university students' recollections of strategy use in high school with the ir present study behaviors. Results from the 2 studies were consistent. All groups, at all times in their education, regardless of course difficulty, preferred repetition strategies. Students were aware of other more sophisti cated strategies but used them to a lesser extent. What was most compelling was students' indication that strategy instruction was a late addition to their educational experience, with many indicating high school as their Ist encounter with strategy instruction. These reports suggest that students' dependence on repetition strategies may be a product of the lack of familia rity and flexibility in the execution of more sophisticated strategies.