The Role of Metacognition in Students’ Understanding and Transfer of Explanatory Structures in Science

Abstract

This chapter explores the power of metacognition in helping students to reflect upon and revise their underlying causal assumptions in service of deeper science learning and to transfer the concepts that they learn. In six eighth grade science classrooms, we introduced “metacognitive moves” into instruction about the nature of the causal patterns implicit in density and pressure-related concepts. Classes participated in a density unit followed by an air pressure unit making it possible to assess transfer, cognitive, and metacognitive statements, using pre- and post-assessment, interview data, writing samples, and key classroom conversations. Four categories of cognitive and metacognitive strategies emerged in students’ statements increasing in sophistication from explicit knowledge claims to engaging in reflective reasoning and examining the applicability and plausibility of concepts. There was a strong correlation between the number of metacognitive statements students made during their interviews and higher post-assessment scores. Students who made more metacognitive statements gave more relational causal responses on their posttests—reflecting greater ability to incorporate the complex causal concepts. Those students who made more metacognitive statements on their density posttest showed more transfer of understanding to air pressure. The notion of metacognition applied in this study consists of knowledge of persons (both interpersonal and intrapersonal), monitoring, and evaluation. Knowledge of persons invites awareness of students’ sense-making process. Monitoring and evaluation also occur in the context of students’ ideas, as students test their faith in a particular idea, assessing whether they really believe that idea and whether they should keep on doing so.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Example of Materials-Based Metacognitive Activity in Density

Reflecting on What You’ve Learned About Changes in Density

In the past few classes, we have considered what causes differences in density at the microscopic level and how density can change. In your journal, please answer the following questions:

• 1. Of what you’ve learned about what causes differences in density, what makes sense to you? Are there any pieces of what you’ve learned that seem especially clear to you? What about it makes it easy to understand?

• 2. Of what you’ve learned about what causes differences in density, what doesn’t make sense to you? What pieces seem especially difficult to understand? What about them makes them difficult?

• 3. Sometimes even when we understand an idea, we may not believe it. Comprehending an idea is not the same thing as believing it to be true. In terms of density, is there anything that you believe to be true? Why do you believe it to be true?

• 4. Is there anything that you believe is not true? Why do you believe it is not true?

• 5. Is there anything about what you learned about density that relates to other ideas you may have learned about? What are they? In what ways do they relate?

Appendix 2: Example of Teacher-Supported Metacognitive Activity in Density

Reflecting on Our Thinking as a Group

The more we can begin to understand our own thinking, the better we understand and process ideas in science. As an exercise to help us reflect on our thinking as individuals and as a group, we will watch a video from yesterday’s lesson. As you watch the video, look for ways in which you use each other to make sense of ideas, to consider the plausibility of ideas, and to connect ideas to other areas of learning. Here is a list of possible situations to look for:

Instances where…

• When talking about his or her model, a student explains what makes sense to him/her. The student may explain why certain pieces are particularly clear and easy for him/her to understand. He or she may also talk about things that still seem unclear about an idea.

• After one student shares his/her response, other students understand the original student’s model, they may understand parts of the model, or they may not understand the model at all.

• Students discuss their different understandings. After one student shares his or her model, other students in the class add to the first student’s model to have the idea make sense to them.

• Students talk about whether or not they believe a particular model. Sometimes even if a model makes sense, you may not necessarily believe it. Can you recognize any examples when a student (or a group of students) talks about “getting” a particular model but not necessarily “buying” it? In other words, instances when students debate whether or not an idea is true?

• In the discussions, were there any instances when students referred to common experiences that you, as a class, have shared (or maybe not shared) that made thinking about this idea difficult to understand?

  Were there any common experiences or understandings that the class shares that helped class members make connections about this idea to other areas of learning? Was there any common theme that students tended to refer to when explaining their ideas?