University students' use of retrieval practice and re-reading: study strategy beliefs and coordination across learning contexts.

Authors

Daniel H Teo, Yu Ming Lee, Darren J Yeo

Published in

Memory (Hove, England). Pages 1-20. Oct 06, 2026. Epub Oct 06, 2026.

Abstract

How students study outside the classroom shapes learning outcomes, yet most research on strategy use has been conducted in Western contexts with limited attention to how learners coordinate strategies in authentic academic settings. We surveyed 261 mostly high-achieving university students in Singapore about their reported use of retrieval practice and re-reading across memory-based and problem-solving tasks. Students described flexible, goal-sensitive approaches rather than rigid preferences. Most reported coordinating both strategies - using re-reading for initial comprehension and retrieval practice for consolidation - and differentiating by task type. For problem-solving, students strongly favoured retrieval practice over worked examples, potentially reflecting adaptation to assessment demands rather than awareness of effectiveness. Effort during retrieval practice was interpreted as signalling gaps in prior study. Learning how to study occurred largely through trial-and-error. These self-reported patterns suggest adaptive, context-sensitive regulation of study strategies, and that supporting such adaptivity may require attention to the instructional environments that shape students' choices.

PMID:
42837278
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 07 Oct 2026.

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