The effect of metacognitive strategies on subsequent participation in the middle school science classroom

Abstract

Metacognitive activities allow students to monitor the way in which they think, which encourages sustained thinking about science concepts. Teachers can sanction procedures that allow students to articulate the thinking process which in turn may foster greater voluntary participation. Research has shown that metacognitive strategies allow students to link concepts together, resulting in deeper understanding of science concepts. This promotes more in-depth questioning and understanding. In this research, eighth grade middle school students took part in two different types of metacognitive activities while learning about density: think-pair-share and answering metacognitive questions. This study examined the relationship between the strategies and voluntary participation in subsequent class discussions. Results indicated that the overall percentage of participation did differ significantly by group (chi square = 11.01, p<.004), with the rankings (highest to lowest) as follows: Metacognition Questions group (mean rank=16.50), Think-Pair-Share (mean rank=15.25), Control group (mean rank=5.75). When gain scores were calculated by using day 1 as a baseline and comparing it to the average of days 2-7, no statistical significance was shown between groups. The study also examined the relationship between the strategies and student achievement. There was no statistical significance between groups for student achievement. The study also examined the relationship between the strategies and longterm retention. There was no statistical significance between groups for long-term retention