The effect of metacognitive intervention on learner metacognition and achievement in mathematics
| dc.contributor.advisor | Du Toit, G. F. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Wilkinson, A. C. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Du Toit, Daniël Stephanus | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-09-29T14:28:00Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2015-09-29T14:28:00Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 2013-02 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2013-02 | |
| dc.date.submitted | 2013-02 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: International and national measures point to the poor mathematics achievement of South African learners. The enhancement of the quality of mathematics education is a key priority of the Department of Basic Education in South Africa. Several studies have found a correlation between learner metacognition and mathematics achievement. Metacognition entails knowledge and regulation of one’s cognitive processes. Previous studies point to the positive effect of metacognitive interventions on learner metacognition and mathematics achievement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a metacognitive intervention (MI) on learner metacognition and the mathematics achievement of Grade 11 learners in the Free State from a predominantly pragmatic perspective. The MI was developed by combining aspects of a mathematical perspective on De Corte’s (1996) educational learning theory with aspects of previous metacognitive intervention studies in mathematics. A mixed methods research design was employed where qualitative data were embedded within a quasi-experiment. Data were collected from an experimental group (N=25) and a control group (N=24). Quantitative data on learner metacognition were obtained from the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI), while quantitative data on mathematics achievement were obtained from the learners’ Terms 1 and 4 report marks. Qualitative data were acquired by means of teacher interviews, problem-solving sessions, and learner and teacher perspectives on the MI process. The mixed methods research question investigated the extent to which the findings from the qualitative phase of the study support the findings from the quantitative phase regarding the effect of MI on learner metacognition and mathematics achievement. The quantitative findings indicated that MI had a statistically significant impact on learner metacognition in respect of the MAI total score, the Knowledge of cognition (KC) factor, the Regulation of cognition (RC) factor, and the subscales Declarative knowledge, Planning, and Monitoring. The impact of MI on mathematics achievement was less pronounced, as inferences had to be drawn from the correlation between learner metacognition and mathematics achievement. The quantitative findings showed a statistically significant correlation between KC and mathematics achievement, as well as between Declarative knowledge and mathematics achievement. Since MI had a statistically significant impact on KC and Declarative knowledge, it is concluded that MI also had a positive impact on mathematics achievement. The qualitative findings strongly support the quantitative findings regarding the positive impact of MI on learner metacognition. The quantitative findings in respect of the correlation between learner metacognition and mathematics achievement were only partially supported by the qualitative data. Main recommendations emerging from this study relate to the improvement of learners’ mathematics achievement by enhancing their Declarative knowledge, the enhancement of learners’ problem-solving skills, and the need to implement metacognitive interventions in mathematics particularly in schools where the teachers are inexperienced or underqualified. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Die swak wiskunde-prestasie van Suid-Afrikaanse leerders word deur internasionale en nasionale maatstawwe aangetoon. Die verbetering van die kwaliteit van wiskunde-onderwys is ‘n kernprioriteit van die Departement van Basiese Onderwys in Suid-Afrika. Verskeie studies het bevind dat daar ‘n korrelasie tussen leerdermetakognisie en wiskunde-prestasie is. Metakognisie behels die kennis en regulering van ‘n persoon se kognitiewe prosesse. Vorige studies dui op die positiewe effek van metakognitiewe intervensies op leerdermetakognisie en wiskunde-prestasie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die effek van ‘n metakognisie intervensie (MI) op leerdermetakognisie en die wiskunde-prestasie van Graad 11 leerders in die Vrystaat vanuit ‘n grotendeels pragmatiese wêreldsiening te ondersoek. Die MI is ontwikkel deur aspekte van ‘n wiskundige perspektief op De Corte (1996) se opvoedkundige leerteorie met aspekte van vorige metakognisie-intervensiestudies in wiskunde te kombineer. ‘n Gemengde-metodes navorsingsontwerp is gebruik waar kwalitatiewe data in ‘n kwasi-eksperiment ingebed was. Data is van ‘n eksperimentele groep (N=25) en ‘n kontrole groep (N=24) verkry. Kwantitatiewe data van leerdermetakognisie is verkry uit die “Metacognitive Awareness Inventory” (MAI) terwyl kwantitatiewe data van wiskunde-prestasie uit die Kwartaal 1- en Kwartaal 4 rapportpunte verkry is. Kwalitatiewe data is uit onderhoude met onderwysers, probleemoplossingsessies, en leerder- en onderwyserperspektiewe oor die MI-proses verkry. Die gemengde-metodes navorsingsvraag het die mate ondersoek waartoe die bevindinge van die kwalitatiewe fase van die studie die bevindinge ondersteun van die kwantitatiewe fase met betrekking tot die effek van MI op leerdermetakognisie en wiskunde-prestasie. Die kwantitatiewe bevindinge het aangedui dat MI ‘n statisties-beduidende impak op leerdermetakognisie gehad het met betrekking tot die totale MAI-telling, die Kennis van kognisie-faktor, die Regulering van kognisie-faktor, en die subskale Verklarende kennis, Beplanning, en Monitering. Die impak van MI op wiskunde-prestasie was minder prominent omdat afleidings gemaak moes word uit die korrelasie tussen leerdermetakognisie en wiskunde-prestasie. Die kwantitatiewe bevindinge het aangetoon dat daar ‘n statisties-beduidende korrelasie tussen Kennis van kognisie en wiskunde-prestasie was, en ook tussen Verklarende kennis en wiskunde-prestasie. Omdat MI ‘n statisties-beduidende impak op Kennis van kognisie en Verklarende kennis gehad het, word die gevolgtrekking gemaak dat MI ook ‘n positiewe impak op wiskunde-prestasie gehad het. Die kwalitatiewe bevindinge ondersteun tot ‘n groot mate die kwantitatiewe bevindinge wat verband hou met die positiewe impak van MI op leerdermetakognisie. Die kwantitatiewe bevindinge ten opsigte van die korrelasie tussen leerdermetakognisie en wiskundeprestasie was slegs gedeeltelik deur die kwalitatiewe data ondersteun. Hoofaanbevelings voortspruitend uit hierdie studie het betrekking op die verbetering van leerders se wiskunde-prestasie deur die verbetering van hulle Verklarende kennis, die verbetering van die leerders se probleemoplossingsvaardighede, en die noodsaaklikheid om metakognitiewe intervensies in wiskunde te implementeer veral in skole waar die onderwysers onervare is of onvoldoende gekwalifiseer is. | af |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/1307 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Thesis (Ph.D. (Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Technology Education))--University of the Free State, 2013 | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Problem solving -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Metacognition in children | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Mathematical ability | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Academic achievement -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Education -- Methodology | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Metacognitive intervention | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Mathematics achievement | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Metacognitive awareness inventory | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Problem-solving | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Educational learning theory | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Mixed methods | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Knowledge of cognition | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Regulation of cognition | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Self-regulated learning | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Metacognition | en_ZA |
| dc.title | The effect of metacognitive intervention on learner metacognition and achievement in mathematics | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |