Understanding Learning Strategy Use Through the Lens of Habit

Students frequently rely on ineffective learning strategies instead of those that promote long-term retention. This tendency is commonly examined through the lens of self-regulated learning, which emphasizes students as generally active and deliberate decision-makers who may lack either the knowledge of effective strategies or the motivational resources to apply them. In this paper, we aim to expand this perspective by investigating the role of non-deliberate, habitual behaviors in students’ use of learning strategies. Drawing on key principles of habit and habit formation, we argue that particularly ineffective learning strategies tend to develop strong habitual tendencies. An overreliance on them may therefore stem not only from a lack of strategy knowledge but also from their automatic activation in response to environmental cues. We support this claim by both theoretically demonstrating how ineffective learning strategy use aligns with habit characteristics and empirically presenting first evidence showing that ineffective strategies exhibit stronger habitual tendencies than effective ones. By framing learning strategy use within a habit-based framework, we aim to offer a novel perspective on students’ persistence with ineffective strategies and suggest new intervention pathways that emphasize behavior-change strategies to foster effective use of learning strategies.