Teaching about Learning: The Effects of Instruction on Metacognition in a Sociological Theory Course

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-338
Author(s):  
Julie A. Pelton

This article investigates the effects of teaching about metacognition in a sociological theory course. I created a series of teaching interventions to introduce students to the science of learning, including an interactive lecture on metacognition, a discussion that models metacognitive strategies, and activities for students to practice metacognition. This article describes those teaching interventions and assesses whether direct instruction led to greater use of metacognitive and cognitive strategies, confidence, and motivation to learn. Data were collected over seven semesters using a pretest–posttest approach. Comparison of means showed that students who received metacognitive instruction did not differ significantly from a control group on strategy use, confidence, or motivation. Regression analyses show that metacognitive instruction did lead to greater use of metacognitive strategies. While instruction in metacognition did not produce all desired effects, this research illustrates the value of incorporating the science of learning in sociology courses.

2021 ◽  
pp. 030802262098288
Author(s):  
Caroline J Mills ◽  
Christine Chapparo ◽  
Joanne Hinitt

Introduction Autistic students may experience difficulty performing classroom tasks due to atypical sensory processing and inefficient use of higher-order cognitive strategies. Limited research has investigated the influence of in-class sensory activities to enhance the thinking strategies required for task performance. This study evaluated a classroom-based sensory activity schedule and its impact on cognitive strategy use. Methods A quasi-experimental, non-equivalent groups design was used. Students ( n = 30, mean age 7.4 years) with atypical sensory processing negatively impacting classroom performance, and their teachers ( n = 23), from six autism-specific schools were grouped into intervention (Sensory Activity Schedule and usual teaching) and control (usual teaching only) groups. Students’ cognitive strategy use during the performance of classroom tasks was evaluated at baseline and post-intervention using Perceive, Recall, Plan, Perform Stage Two Cognitive Task Analysis. Results Statistical analysis (Mann–Whitney U test) indicated that students who received the Sensory Activity Schedule intervention improved significantly more than control group students in overall cognitive strategy use ( Z = –2.32, p = 0.02), and with strategy items involving attention and sensory perception (perceive, Z = –2.26, p = 0.02), and planning and organisation (Plan, Z = –.254, p = 0.01). Conclusion The Sensory Activity Schedule may enhance autistic students’ capacity to apply cognitive strategies more effectively during performance of classroom tasks.


2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronnel B. King ◽  
Shaljan Areepattamannil

The aim of this study was to investigate how academic emotions were related to cognitive and metacognitive strategy use. Secondary school students (N = 1,147) participated in this study and answered relevant questionnaires on academic emotions (enjoyment, hope, pride, anger, anxiety, shame, hopelessness, and boredom) and the use of various cognitive (elaboration, organisation, and rehearsal) and metacognitive strategies (planning, monitoring, regulating). Results of the analyses indicated that students who experienced positive emotions were more likely to use different types of cognitive and metacognitive strategies. Negative academic emotions were found to be non-significant predictors of strategy use. Implications are discussed.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 118
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Dehghan ◽  
Mohammad Khatib

<p>The main difference between proficient and less proficient learners lies in the conscious ability to the so-called metacognition. Students who possess good metacognition know how to learn and what to do in any learning circumstances. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of metacognitive strategy use via task supported language teaching on vocabulary acquisition. To achieve this aim, 40 learners studying at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences were put into experimental and control groups. For the experimental group, 10 units of 'Barron's Essential Words for the TOEFL (IBT) were covered through 'metacognitive strategy use', 'vocabulary acquisition', and 'task supported language teaching' principles of vocabulary teaching. In the case of the control group, the lesson plan was covered in accordance with the cognitive strategies and based on the exercises posed in the book. A sample of vocabulary test was administered as the pretest and another parallel one for the post-test of the study after each group was exposed to the treatment for 10 sessions. Data analyses revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-test; in this regard, the efficacy of the teaching protocol for experimental group is confirmed.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6275
Author(s):  
Weiwei Zhang ◽  
Donglan Zhang ◽  
Lawrence Jun Zhang

This mixed-methods study investigated English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners’ perceptions of task difficulty and their use of metacognitive strategies in completing integrated speaking tasks as empirical evidence for the effects of metacognitive instruction. A total of 130 university students were invited to complete four integrated speaking tasks and answer a metacognitive strategy inventory and a self-rating scale. A sub-sample of eight students participated in the subsequent interviews. One-way repeated measures MANOVA and structure coding with content analysis led to two main findings: (a) EFL learners’ use of metacognitive strategies, in particular, problem-solving, was considerably affected by their perceptions of task difficulty in completing the integrated speaking tasks; (b) EFL learners were not active users of metacognitive strategies in performing these tasks. These findings not only support the necessity of taking into account learners’ perceptions of task difficulty in designing lesson plans for metacognitive instruction, but also support a metacognitive instruction model. In addition, the findings provide empirical support for the utility of Kormos’ Bilingual Speech Production Model. As the integrated speaking tasks came from a high-stakes test, these findings also offer validity evidence for test development in language assessment to ascertain sustainable EFL learning for nurturing learner autonomy as an ultimate goal.


ReCALL ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 539-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
NINETTE CARTES-ENRIQUEZ ◽  
M. I. SOLAR RODRIGUEZ ◽  
R. QUINTANA LETELIER

This is an experimental study in the area of Didactics applied to the learning of English as a foreign language and complemented by CALL. The main objective of this work is to know the degree of incidence existing between two groups of students: one, based on conference-style classes where students, guided by the teacher, have to search for information about a topic in the computer lab and present it in front of the class and, in the other, where students are taught by the teacher according to a printed text. The experimental design consisted of a pre-test/post-test plus the application of different techniques to develop the different linguistic and cognitive strategies, between these tests. The methodology used by the Experimental Group forced learners to generate their own knowledge, so they had to apply the information and work by themselves in Workshops; and the Control Group participated in the classroom according to the communicative approach, guided by the teacher in the traditional class. Statistics were applied to the scores obtained between both tests, and the scores obtained weekly in the different competences contributed to knowing whether there were significant differences between both groups.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 1025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Reza Nemat Tabrizi ◽  
Mahnaz Ranjbar

The study investigates the impact of IELTS listening strategy use on the reduction of listening test anxiety and on the listening performance of the IELTS test takers in light of the data of 80 participants on the pretest and post-test IELTS listening along with the participants' score on pre-anxiety and post anxiety scale. So, drawing on the instruments including a proficiency test, pre/post-test, anxiety questionnaire, materials for strategy instruction, the participants were randomly divided into two groups: Control Group and Experimental Group, each including 40 participants. As per the procedure, after tackling their pre-listening performance and pre-anxiety score, one group was treated with IELTS-Listening related strategies and the other group was not treated, but both were administered listening test. The results of the study indicated that those treated with IELTS strategy outperformed ( t (78) = 4.57, p = .000, r = .460 ) those receiving no listening-related strategy. Furthermore, the results of a t-test run on the post-test of the groups anxiety arrived at a statistically significant difference (t (78) = 5.77, p = .000, r = .547), representing that the control group outperformed the experimental group. Also, Pearson Correlation done for finding out a potential relationship between anxiety and listening performance indicated a negative and weak to moderate relationship ((r (78) = -.26, p = .020). The pedagogical implications of the study are in detailed argued.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. p23
Author(s):  
Emolyn M. Iringan

This quasi-experimental study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Blended Learning Approach on graduate school students’ intrinsic motivation to learn, achievement, efficiency on project completion, and attitude towards coursework. The study used two groups, the control and experimental group which covered 30 students for each group. Students in the control group were exposed to the face-to-face instructional mode while the experimental group was exposed to the blended mode of instruction. Survey questionnaires, achievement tests, and documentary analyses were the data-gathering modalities that were utilized. The data were treated using mean, scales, and t-test. Results show that the BLA enhanced students’ intrinsic motivation to learn, efficiency in project completion, and achievement in the course, however, yielded no significant effect on their attitude toward their coursework.


Author(s):  
Nguyen Thi Thu Van ◽  
Ly Tuan Phu ◽  
Dang Quynh Lien ◽  
Nguyen Pham Phuong Khanh

This study aims to explore the effectiveness of cognitive reading strategies in primary school teacher training curriculum. Designed under the paradigm of a quasi-experimental research with the participation of an experimental and a control group, the current study seeks to investigate the impact of cognitive strategies training on students’ reading comprehension. Findings from the study showed that cognitive strategies training incorporated into a primary school teacher training course could improve pre-service teachers’ reading performance. It is concluded that students need more time and practice so that they can use their new strategies automatically at the procedural stage.


Author(s):  
Sri Noprianti ◽  
Ali Akbarjono ◽  
Feny Martina

Based on the explanation of the theory by Gardner the state is motivation comes from within a person as a driving force to achieve goals for more advanced change. This study aims to determine how enthusiastic student's Eighth grade in the SMPN 03 Bengkulu Tengah are in learning English, especially speaking English. Researchers used a quasi-experimental research method, namely a control group posttest only design which showed a significant difference between 74, 92%, and 61.96% of the experimental class in the control class. From this hypothesis, the researcher obtained a comparison of the experimental class in the treatment using the storytelling method of 4.34% and the control class with the narrative picture method of 3.58%. So the researcher can conclude that there is a significant difference between the two methods with or without the use of treatment compared to the motivation to learn English in class VIII students at SMPN 03 Bengkulu Tengah.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 134
Author(s):  
Jahanbakhsh Nikoopour ◽  
Roozbeh Kargar ◽  
Nadimeh Esfandiari

<p><em>Research in reading comprehension associates the assumption that readers’ attributes may influence reading comprehension; different readers may process the same text in different ways, depending on their purposes, motivation, attitudes, interests, background knowledge, and the strategies they use. The present study attempted to investigate the impact of teaching cognitive and memory strategies on male and female IELTS candidates’ reading comprehension. To carry out the study, the researcher selected a sample of 88 male and female EFL learners, who attended IELTS preparation classes in Afarinesh English Language Institute regularly. The participants were randomly assigned into three groups; namely, two experimental groups and a control group. Eight memory and cognitive strategies were taught explicitly in the two experimental groups respectively during the treatment, whereas the current usual techniques were being used in the control group. The results showed that the experimental groups outperformed the control group in reading comprehension. The difference between the mean scores of the two experimental groups was not statistically significant. That is, instructing cognitive and memory strategies have had somehow similar impact on the IELTS candidates’ reading comprehension. Finally, the participants’ gender as a moderator variable did not make a significant difference in their reading comprehension.</em></p>


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