Upper Peninsula Teaching & Learning Conference - 2026

Students often come to college without understanding how to approach learning effectively. This study examined the impact of structured self-analysis and reflection on 15 undergraduate students' metacognition, grit, learning styles, self-efficacy, and motivation. At the beginning of the semester, students completed a researcher-developed pre-assessment documenting their integrated understanding of how these constructs inform studying habits. For each construct, students participated in two instructional sessions covering theoretical foundations and practical applications, completed established self-assessments (Duckworth's Grit Scale, Bandura's Self-Efficacy Scale, Kolb's Learning Style Inventory), and wrote structured reflections analyzing their results. After seven weeks, students completed the post-assessment. A paired samples t-test revealed significant improvement in students' integrated understanding (t(14) = -2.47, p = .027). Thematic analysis showed students translated insights into action: they created individualized learning goals, with self-regulation and grit emerging as the most frequently identified areas for development. These findings suggest that structured self-analysis enables students to move from theoretical understanding to actionable learning strategies.