Faculty Profile for Dr. Taylor W Acee

Biography Section

Biography and Education

Dr. Taylor W. Acee is Professor in the Graduate Program in Developmental Education within the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, where he currently serves as the Program Coordinator for the Master's and Doctoral Program in Developmental Education. He earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in educational psychology at The University of Texas at Austin and his B.S. in psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. His program of research is focused on cognitive, metacognitive, motivational, and affective factors that contribute to and detract from student success in postsecondary education. Dr. Acee is internationally known for his work on motivational interventions, academic boredom, and strategic learning assessments and interventions.

Research Interests

Rooted in both educational psychology and developmental education, my collaborative program of research is focused on cognitive, metacognitive, motivational, affective, and behavioral factors that underlie effective and efficient learning in postsecondary education as well as college transition and preparatory programs. I am interested in how these factors contribute to and detract from students’ academic achievement, persistence, retention to degree or certificate completion, and attainment of their academic and career goals. In my research, I target variables that are causative in nature, account for a meaningful amount of the variation in student success, and are amendable to change through educational intervention. The overarching goal of this research is to help students become more strategic and self-regulated life-long learners. Both theoretical and practical, my program of research centers on four major areas that are highly interrelated and build upon one another reciprocally: (a) basic and applied research on student motivation and self-regulation; (b) student-centered models of strategic and self-regulated learning; (c) development and evaluation of research-based learning support interventions; and (d) educational product development, consulting, and professional development related to a, b, and c above.

A major focus of my research is on value-reappraisal interventions designed to help students explore the personal relevance of developing knowledge and skills in their courses. One goal of this research is to investigate fundamental self-regulatory processes students use to modify their attitudes about academic tasks, courses, and disciplines. Another goal of this research is to develop research-based interventions that can help to motivate students and guide them in developing a greater appreciation for learning. I am also interested in the flipside of this coin: academic boredom and disinterest. My research in this area has primarily focused on how to measure academic boredom and how various task characteristics (over-challenging versus under-challenging) can influence students’ experience of boredom.

A broader theoretical concentration of mine is on student-centered models of strategic learning. My work in this area is a continuation of my mentor’s research program, Dr. Claire Ellen Weinstein. Her Model of Strategic Learning (MSL) organizes many of the key factors researchers have identified as being critical for effective and efficient learning. Furthermore, the MSL emphasizes those factors that are under students’ direct control and amenable to change through educational intervention. The MSL serves as a foundation from which to build and refine strategic learning assessments (e.g., the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory, LASSI) and interventions (e.g., learning-to-learn courses and online strategic learning intervention). My work in this area focuses on disseminating theory, research, and practical applications related to the Model of Strategic Learning and the assessments and interventions derived from this model.