The Influence of Metacognitive Scaffolding on Learning Academic Writing Online

The pandemic has caused a big wave of change in the way teaching is done. One of the many areas of concern is that the teaching that was previously done not only face -to-face but also using hands-on; coupled with one-to-one or group by group conferences, is now done online. How can that be done online? In the traditional face-to-face classroom, the writing teacher monitors the working memory of the writers (planning, translating and reviewing) by marking and making comments of the learners’ drafts. The comments and recommendations for changes made by the teachers acted as scaffolds to the learners to guide them to improve on their writing. When online learning hits the classrooms, writing teachers need to incorporate creative language teaching into the online classrooms. This study explores the use of metacognitive scaffolding on learning academic writing online. Learners were taught metacognitive scaffolding during online classes. They responded to the survey. Findings revealed interesting implications for teaching and learning of academic writing online.

Enhancing Metacognitive Scaffolding and Comprehension Ability through Problem-Based Learning in an EFL Context

Successful reading necessitates the application of metacognitive reading strategies, which have been proven to be effective in enhancing comprehension in EFL contexts. This quasiexperimental study, thus, aimed to implement a problem-based learning method (PBL) in an EFL instructional setting to investigate its effect on EFL learners’ metacognitive reading strategies awareness and use and their comprehension ability. Two groups of students at the elementary level, one experimental (N = 40) and one control (N = 40) were selected. Their homogeneity in English proficiency was probed by Key English Test (KET). The experimental group received PBL and the control group followed the explicit lecture-based teaching method. The two groups completed pre- and posttest of metacognitive awareness of reading strategies inventory (MARSI) and reading comprehension. The findings based on univariate analysis of covariance indicated that the experimental group had high metacognitive reading strategies awareness and enhanced their comprehension ability to a high extent. Practitioners should pay special attention to the PBL method in EFL contexts if they want to enhance metacognitive strategies awareness and cultivate effective reading.

Examining the Effects of Three Group-Level Metacognitive Scaffoldings on In-Service Teachers’ Knowledge Building

Group-level metacognitive scaffolding is critical for productive knowledge building. However, previous research mainly focuses on the individual-level metacognitive scaffoldings in helping learners improve knowledge building, and little effort has been made to develop group-level metacognitive scaffolding (GMS) for knowledge building. This research designed three group-level metacognitive scaffoldings of general, task-oriented, and idea-oriented scaffoldings to facilitate in-service teachers’ knowledge building in small groups. A mixed method is used to examine the effects of the GMSs on groups’ knowledge building processes, performances, and perceptions. Results indicate a complication of the effects of GMSs on knowledge building. The idea-oriented scaffolding has potential to facilitate question-asking and perspective-proposing inquiry through peer interactions; the general scaffolding does not necessarily lessen teachers’ idea-centered explanation and elaboration on the individual level; the task-oriented scaffolding has the worst effect. Pedagogical and research implications are discussed to foster knowledge building with the support of GMSs.

Cognitive vs. metacognitive scaffolding strategies and EFL learners’ listening comprehension development

Studies have documented the significance of scaffolding as a sociocultural theory driven type of assistance for the development of English as foreign language (EFL) learners’ language skills in general; however, the comparative efficacy of various cognitive and/or metacognitive scaffolding procedures for EFL learners’ listening comprehension development and progress has received scant attention. As a partial attempt in this regard, this study investigated the comparative efficacy of cognitive and metacognitive scaffolding strategies for EFL learners’ listening comprehension development. For this purpose, 90 intermediate level EFL learners aged 15 to 20 were selected to participate in this study. The participants’ actual proficiency level was assessed using a sample TOEFL Junior Standard test and relatively homogeneous classes of nearly 15 learners were formed and randomly assigned to two experimental conditions and a control one. The listening section of TOEFL Junior standard test was used as the pre- and posttest. While the learners in both experimental conditions worked in groups of three or four learners on some listening comprehension tasks, the participants of the first experimental condition received cognitive scaffolding strategies, and the second experimental group members were treated using metacognitive scaffolding strategies, the control group members received teacher-fronted non-scaffolding instruction. In addition to a listening comprehension posttest, a semi-structured interview was given to a number of participants of each experimental condition to explore their attitudes towards given scaffolding strategies. The analyses verified that metacognitive scaffolding strategies had a significant superior effect on EFL learners’ listening development compared to cognitive scaffolding strategies and non-scaffolding instruction. Furthermore, the analyses revealed that the EFL learners were generally more pleased with the metacognitive scaffolding procedures and viewed them as instructive, innovative, and effective for finding problems, better comprehension and increased readiness.

Penggunaan Model Pembelajaran Creative Problem Solving (CPS) untuk Meningkatkan Kemampuan Pemecahan Masalah Matematis Siswa

Tujuan dalam penelitian adalah untuk mengetahui apakah peningkatan kemampuan pemecahan masalah matematis siswa yang memperoleh model pembelajaran Creative Problem Solving (CPS) lebih baik dari pada kemampuan pemecahan masalah matematis siswa yang memperoleh pembelajaran biasa, serta untuk mengetahui sikap siswa terhadap model pembelajaran CPS yang digunakan adalah quasi eksperimen semu dengan desain Non Equivalent Group Pretest-Posttest Desaign. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh siswa kelas VIII SMP Negeri 2 Cilaku semester genap tahun 2017/2018. Adapun yang dijadikan sampel dalam penelitian ini adalah kelas VIII D sebagai keals eksperimen dan kelas VIII E sebagai kelas kontrol yang ditentukan menggunakan teknik Sampling Purposive. Untuk pengolahan data menggunakan instrumen tes kemampuan pemecahan masalah matematis siswa dan angket siswa. Berdasarkan hasil analisis data,dapat disimpulkan bahwa peningkatan kemampuan pemecahan masalah matematis siswa yang memperoleh model pembelajaran CPS lebih baik dari pada kemampuan pemecahan masalah matematis siswa yang memperoleh pembelajaran biasa dan sikap siswa terhadap model pembelajaran CPS adalah positif.Kata kunci: Pemecahan masalah matematis siswa, Creative Problem Solving (CPS)Andriatna, R. (2012). Meningkatkan Kemampuan Pemecahan Masalah Matematis Siswa SMA Melalui Menulis Matematika Dalam Pembelajaran Bebasis Masalah. Skripsi Jurusan Pendidikan Matematika FPMIPA UPI Bandung: Tidak Diterbitkan.Arikunto, S. 2006. Prosedur Penelitian Suatu Pendekatan Praktik, Edisi Revisi VI. Jakarta: Rineka Cipta.Depdiknas. (2006). Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan Nasional Nomor 22, 23 dan 24 tahun 2006 tentang Standar Isi untuk Satuan Pendidikan Dasar Dan Menengah. Jakarta : Depdiknas. Fitriani, N. (2010). Pengaruh Penggunaan Model Pembelajaran Kooperatif Tipe Two Stay Two terhadap Kemampuan Pemecahan Masalah Matematika Siswa. Skripsi Jurusan Pendidikan Matematika FPMIPA UPI Bandung: Tidak Diterbitkan.Jursa, H. (2013). Peningkatan Kemampuan Pemecahan Masalah Matematis Dan Kemandirian Belajar Siswa Kelas VII SMPMelalui Pendekatan Metacognitive Nter Speech. Desertasi SPS UPI. Bandung: Tidak Diterbitkan.Purbawanto, S.. (2013). Peningkatan Kemampuan Pemecahan Masalah, Komunikasi DanSelf-Efficacy Matematis Mahasiswa Melalui Pembelajaran Dengan Metacognitive Scaffolding. Desertasi SPS UPI. Bandung: Tidak Diterbitkan.Sugiyono. (2013). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif dan R&D. Bandung: Alfabeta.CVSyaban, M. (2009). Menumbuhkan Daya Matematis Siswa. [Online]. Tersedia: http://educare.e-fkipunla.net[10 Januari 2018].Syaripudin, T. (2006). Landasan Pendidikan. Bandung: FIP UPI.

Effect of Metacognitive Scaffolding Teaching Strategy on Secondary School Physics Students’ Achievement and Attitude to Thermal Energy

This study investigated the effect of metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy on secondary school physics students’ achievement and attitude to thermal energy in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria. The study asked two research questions and postulated two null hypotheses which were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Quasi experimental research design involving non randomized control pretest-posttest design was utilized. The study population consisted of 2,699 Senior Secondary II (SSII) physics students from 54 public SSII physics students in FCT, Abuja. Multistage random sampling technique was used to select two intact classes having 75 SSII physics students from two SS as sample for the study. Two instruments consisting of Thermal Energy Achievement Test (TEAT) and Attitude to Thermal Energy Questionnaire (ATEQ) were used for data collection. The data collected from these instruments were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the null hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Findings from the analyzed data showed that physics students taught using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy performed better than those physics students taught using conventional teaching method. Also, physics students taught using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy had better attitude towards thermal energy than their counterparts in the control group. Based on these findings, it was recommended among others that physics teachers should be encouraged to teach using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy. Government and educational agencies, curriculum planners and developers should encourage the training of physics teachers on metacognitive scaffolding teaching during seminars, workshops and conferences.

Gender Issues in Achievement and Retention among Secondary School Students Taught Thermal Energy Using Metacognitive Scaffolding Teaching Strategy

This study investigated gender issues in achievement and retention among secondary school students taught thermal energy using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria. Four research questions were asked, while four null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Quasi experimental research design involving non-randomized control pretest-posttest design was utilized. The study population consisted of 2699 Senior Secondary II (SSII) physics students from 54 public SSII physics students in FCT, Abuja. Multistage random sampling technique was used to select two schools for the study. From the two schools, two intact SSII classes were selected consisting of 75 SSII physics students. The instrument used for data collection consists of Thermal Energy Achievement Test (TEAT). The data collected from the instrument were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the null hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Findings from the analyzed data showed that physics students taught using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy performed better in their achievement scores than those taught using conventional lecture method; Male physics students did not perform better than their female counterpart when taught using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy; Physics students taught using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy performed better in their retention scores than their counterparts in the control group; Male physics students did not perform better in their retention scores than their female counterpart when taught using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy. Based on these findings, it was recommended among others that physics teachers should be encouraged to teach using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy. Government and educational agencies, curriculum planners and developers should encourage the training of physics teachers on metacognitive scaffolding teaching during seminars, workshops and conferences.