The influence of a metacognitive approach to cooperative pair problem-solving on self-direction in learning

Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa

 
 
Field Value
 
Title The influence of a metacognitive approach to cooperative pair problem-solving on self-direction in learning
 
Creator Breed, Betty Bailey, Roxanne
 
Subject education; computer applications technology self-directed learning; metacognition; metacognitive teaching-learning strategy; cooperative learning; pair problem solving
Description Preparing students for self-directed learning has become an obligation of 21st century educational institutions. This study focused on developing students’ metacognitive awareness during cooperative pair problem-solving, with the aim of enhancing their levels of self-directed learning. The research involved a class of 33 second-year computer applications technology education students in a semester module. Quantitative data related to the students’ levels of self-directed learning and metacognitive awareness were gathered in a pre-test using Williamson’s self-rating scale of self-directed learning and an adapted version of Schraw and Dennison’s metacognitive awareness inventory, respectively. During the semester, the students implemented a set of metacognitive self-questions when doing cooperative pair problem-solving tasks. At the end of the semester, the same two questionnaires were used in a post-test. The results showed that students’ metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive control had increased, with both statistical and practical significance, especially with respect to procedural knowledge, planning and monitoring. The results further showed that the self-directed learning of students who initially scored moderate or low levels of self-directed learning had increased, with both statistical and practical significance in most areas of self-directed learning. Seven randomly-selected participants were then individually interviewed to collect qualitative data about their experiences and views of using the metacognitive self-questions during problem-solving in cooperative pairs, and how this influenced their self-directedness in learning. The results for the qualitative data correspond with what was found with the quantitative data. Based on these findings, we conclude that the use of the metacognitive self-questions during cooperative pair problem-solving positively influenced the students’ levels of self-directed learning.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF). Grant number: 90387.
Date 2018-06-11
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Quasi-Experimental
Format text/html application/epub+zip application/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/td.v14i1.516
 
Source The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa; Vol 14, No 1 (2018); 11 pages 2415-2005 1817-4434
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/516/715 https://td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/516/713 https://td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/516/714 https://td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/516/712
 
Coverage — — 20-21 years; male and female; different race groups
Rights Copyright (c) 2018 Betty Breed, Roxanne Bailey https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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