Neither diary-keeping nor diary-plus-instruction improved university students' academic performance¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r1 · q2 · i0 negligible
Currency · newest study 2014 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i0 No improvements in academic performance were found for students in the intervention conditions. → Fabriz 2014

Evidence¶

Fabriz 2014¶

Fabriz, S., Dignath-van Ewijk, C., Poarch, G., Büttner, G. (2014). Fostering self-monitoring of university students by means of a standardized learning journal—a longitudinal study with process analyses. Eur J Psychol Educ, 29, 239–255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-013-0196-z

q2 · i0 · causal · r1

Across the four-course comparison with pre–post measures, the article reports that "no improvements were found for students’ academic performance," despite gains in self-regulation measures in the combined condition. No effect size is printed; the null is reported as no detected improvement.

"However, no improvements were found for students’ academic performance."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• In a randomized trial of SRL interventions in an online mathematics preparation course, group and time interacted significantly on SRL knowledge, self-efficacy and the SRL overall score, with Group TDP (training + diary + peer feedback) showing the most prominent gains — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• Keeping a structured learning diary without further intervention did not improve university students' self-regulation — related
• The combined training-plus-diary condition improved specific SRL components: SRL knowledge, metacognitive strategies, cognitive strategies (elaboration, organisation, critical thinking), and resource management strategies (time-management, effort regulation) — related
• Combining a structured learning diary with instruction on self-regulated learning increased students' strategy use and self-efficacy — related
• A daily learning diary alone (Group D) did not produce statistically significant pre-post gains on any measured outcome in an online mathematics preparation course — related
• Web-based SRL training combined with a learning diary (Group TD) produced statistically significant pre-post gains in SRL knowledge, the SRL overall score and self-efficacy, but not in mathematics scores, among prospective university students in an online preparation course — related
• SRL interventions in a four-week online mathematics preparation course did not significantly change the mathematics overall score (interaction marginal), while the mathematics focus score on self-chosen chapters showed a statistically significant group by time interaction — related
• No significant differences in attention or working memory were found between intervention and control groups at either follow-up — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• In a randomised control study, university students in the combined condition (online SRL training with mobile-app diaries) improved more than participants in the other conditions — related
• Self-efficacy, but not self-reported strategy use, predicts subsequent exam grades in the university course — related
• Measuring the impact of math instruction and interventions is key to improving students' overall math performance — related