Fulbright Visiting Scholar Dr. Seniye Vural, visited Prairie View A&M University April 12 -13, 2018,  to present on the role of self-regulation in Psychology and Education. As an assistant professor at Erciyes University in Kayseri, Turkey Dr. Vural’s in-depth research on behavior, learning motivations and linguistics helped define learning strategies for Prairie View A&M University students.

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program’s goal has been to increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations with people of the United States and the people other countries. With this goal in mind Fulbright partners with universities worldwide to share knowledge and research.

Dr. Vural is a Turkey native who teaches in the Department of English Language and Literature at Erciyes and currently is on a 10-month assignment as a Fulbright Scholar Residence at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. Her passion for second language acquisition and English linguistic has been the foundation of her studies and research.

Focusing on “how people learn languages” is most intriguing to Dr. Vural, as she demonstrated the different methods of how people learn, and presented alternative solutions to maximizing the learning experience.

Vural’s research has shown her that the self-regulated approach to learning increases the receptors in the brain, offering a more in-depth learning experience. During her presentation, she and participants discussed ways on how to change behavioral controls that affect learning, resolving that self-efficacy is stronger than the actual ability to complete goals. Vural further shared a person’s perceptions about their capabilities to implement what’s necessary to attain goals and is the solution to overcoming mental setbacks.

As a Ph.D. candidate, Dr. Vural’s research topic was on ‘Motivation,’ in particular student motivation. She studied what motivates students and what internal differences do achievers inherit, as opposed to none or low achievers. To stimulate the participants thought processes, she shared with the audience key descriptions of high achievers. These factors she feels will increase, not only educational success but success in life.

High Achievers:

  • Set more specific learning goals
  • Are more focused on mastery goals that performance goals
  • Use a variety of strategies to learn and achieve goals
  • Self-monitor learning progress more often
  • Adapt their efforts systematically based on learning outcomes
  • Are proactive rather than reactive
  • Persist when challenged or their performance fails
  • Self-evaluate the learning outcomes
  • Feel self-efficacious
  • Have control over their behavior and environment to achieve goals
  • Feel responsible for control of learning

It was Dr. Vural’s interest in learning more about self-regulation as Ph.D. student researcher that motivated her to reach out to Dr. Dale Schunk of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro whom she worked beside. This working connection provided the opportunity to not only be a Fulbright Student Researcher but advance as a Fulbright Scholar.

Dr. Vural’s visit was made possible through the Fulbright Scholar Program’s Outreach Lecturing Fund (OLF).

 

Author:  Maurice Perkins