Volitional control of learning

Research on volitional control of learning provides insight into how motivated students manage the learning process, cope with distractions, and persist in accomplishing goals. Conducted cross-nationally over the past three decades, this research has made interesting contributions to theory, become the basis for a number of intervention programs, and resulted in useful guidelines for parents and teachers who hope to build good academic work habits in children. This article summarizes key ideas and evidence demonstrating the importance of volitional control in learning and performance. We highlight empirically validated interventions targeting aspects of volitional control.