Unveiling pre-service teachers’ cognitive processes: insights from thinking-aloud protocols on self-regulated learning assessment / Descubriendo los procesos cognitivos de los docentes en formación: enseñanzas sobre la evaluación del aprendizaje autorregulado mediante protocolos de reflexión en voz alta

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is essential for lifelong learning but challenging to achieve without guidance. Teachers play a key role in fostering SRL, requiring diagnostic competence to assess students’ SRL skills and provide tailored support. However, many teachers lack the ability to accurately assess SRL, highlighting the need to address this in pre-service teacher training. This study explored how SRL-specific tools influence pre-service teachers’ cognitive processes and judgement accuracy in SRL assessment. An experimental study with 96 elementary education pre-service teachers (47 first-year and 49 fourth-year; M = 19.9 years) compared the use of a rubric and a rating scale for assessing SRL. Our results revealed that the rubric significantly enhanced pre-service teachers’ cognitive processes, enabling them to recall observed actions and align them with assessment criteria, which led to more accurate judgements. These findings highlight the importance of integrating structured tools like rubrics into teacher training programmes to enhance SRL assessment and its development and support future educators in promoting SRL effectively.