A tension between the design and reception of learning environments in higher education: Instructional knowledge as an influencing factor

Contrary to prevailing assumptions, students do not blindly adhere to the expectations and prescriptions imposed on them by the learning environments they encounter. Instead, they appeal to their prior knowledge to interpret these expectations and prescriptions, adjusting their behaviors accordingly. As such, research suggests that students’ knowledge of micro-level education – referred to here as their ‘instructional knowledge’ – often diverges from the actual learning environment presented to them. This discrepancy may have adverse effects on their learning behaviors and outcomes. It thus appears that to understand the actual effectiveness of learning environments, consideration of students’ instructional knowledge is highly relevant. The empirical and conceptual literature regarding instructional knowledge, however, remains scarce, resulting in a limited understanding of this construct and its implications for learning, urging the need for more systematic research.

Within the scope of this PhD, this issue is addressed through the lens of self-regulated learning. In particular, this project expands and deepens research on the integration of learner factors into instructional design by systematically examining the role of higher education students’ instructional knowledge in the interpretation of external events (such as the components that make up learning environments). This interpretation is considered fundamental to understanding how students self-regulate their learning.

The project consists of three studies, structured into two main parts. To ground further empirical research on instructional knowledge, it is imperative to first establish the construct. This foundational step is initiated through a scoping review (Study 1), which seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the empirical research on instructional knowledge, and serves as the impetus for the development of a sharp and operationalizable conceptualization of instructional knowledge. Within the second portion of the research, empirical questions are addressed, exploring the substance of students’ instructional knowledge (Study 2) and its impact on learning behaviors and outcomes (Study 3b). To address these questions, a valid assessment tool will be developed, building upon existing instruments (Study 3a).