Comparing self-reports to traces of studying behavior as representations of students' studying and achievement

We contrasted models of self-regulating learning (SRL) and achievement based on self reports versus traces of studying tactics gathered by software that undergraduates used to study a text. Self-reported use of study tactics differed from traces of tactics in action. In separate regression models, both self reports and traces of study tactics predicted achievement but different tactics defined the two models. In separate principal component analyses, trace data described different forms of self-regulating learning than self reports suggesting that students use different criteria to self-report about using tactics than when enacting them. We suggest both traces of study tactics and self reports be used in research on SRL and its relations to achievement.