Psychology, cognition and school success: validation of the learning strategies program/Psicologia, cognicao e sucesso escolar: concepcao e validacao dum programa de estrategias de aprendizagem

This article presents a Learning Strategies Program developed to provide academic success as well as personal well-being. Each content of learning is based on a strategy with 8 stages: Pre-test and Contract, Description, Modeling, Verbal Practice, Practice and Feedback Control, Advanced Practice and Feedback, Post-test and Contracts, and Generalization. This is a quasi-experimental design, with pre and post-test, an experimental group (n=110) and a control group (n=99). Its application was assessed on (a) reading and writing; (b) school achievement; (c) self-esteem and study methods; (c) school achievement causal attributions and, (e) opinion of the teachers. The EG improved significantly compared to the CG indicating that such Program can bring not only school performance benefits but also personal ones for Portuguese students. Keywords: Cognition; Learning; Strategies; School achievement; 9th Grade. Neste artigo apresentamos a concepcao e validacao dum programa de estrategias de aprendizagem promotor do sucesso academico, bem como do bem-estar pessoal e escolar. Cada conteudo de aprendizagem utiliza uma estrategia com 8 estadios: Pre-teste e Contrato, Descricao, Modelacao, Pratica Verbal, Pratica Controlada e Feedback, Pratica Avancada e Feedback, Pos-teste e Contratos, e Generalizacao. Trata-se dum estudo quasi-experimental, com pre e pos-teste, grupo experimental e de controlo. Avaliou-se o efeito do programa na (a) compreensao e expressao verbal; (b) aproveitamento escolar; (c) auto-estima, habitos de estudo; (d) atribuicoes causais do sucesso; e (e) opinioes dos professores. O GE (n=110) melhorou significativamente comparativamente ao GC (n=99) indicando que o Programa traz beneficios escolares e pessoais aos estudantes portugueses. Palavras-chave: Cognicao; Aprendizagem; Estrategias; Sucesso escolar; Ensino Fundamental.