Abstract/SammanfattningProblemområdeFår elever med dyslexi det stöd som de har behov av och rätt till i en dyslexiskola?Syfte och preciserade frågeställningarDet övergripande syftet med mitt examensarbete är att undersöka pedagogiska metoder för lärande i en dyslexiskola och om skolans metoder är överförbara till andra grund- och gymnasieskolor. Syftet är att få svar på vilka uppfattningar, upplevelser och erfarenheter som eleverna, specialpedagogerna samt rektor har. Vad som gagnar eleven bäst i sitt lärande utifrån följande preciserade frågeställningar: •Vilka strategier använder eleven för sitt lärande?•Hur upplever eleven lärmiljön i skolan? •Vilka erfarenheter har specialpedagogerna av metoder för elever med dyslexi? •Upplever specialpedagogerna att deras metoder bygger på beprövad erfarenhet?•Vilken uppfattning har rektor om stöd för elever med dyslexi?Teoretisk ramJag har valt att använda tre teorier som påverkar elevens villkor och förutsättningar för lärande nämligen: systemteoretiskt, specialpedagogiskt och sociokulturellt perspektiv. MetodJag har valt metodtriangulering: den kvalitativa forskningsintervjun och som komplement en fokusgruppsintervju, samt en intervju med rektor. Till den kvalitativa forskningsintervjun valdes åtta informanter från årskurs 6 – 9: två informanter från varje klass, varav fem är pojkar och tre är flickor. Urvalet till fokusgruppen bestod av fyra specialpedagoger, varav en specialpedagog hade meddelat förhinder, vilket medförde ett externt bortfall. Före intervjuernas genomförande fick samtliga deltagare ett missivbrev med de etiska riktlinjerna. Då avsikten är att beskriva, tolka och förstå upplevelser med utgångspunkt från analys av empirin är den fenomenologiska ansatsen mest lämplig för att finna den gemensamma innebörden.Resultat och analysEleverna upplever att lärarna har förståelse för dyslexi. Eleverna får det stöd som de behöver: snabb personlig hjälp, tillgång till kompensatoriska hjälpmedel, egen dator och tillgång till olika program. Eleverna lär sig hur de ska komma ”runt” dyslexin. Specialpedagogernas erfarenheter är att eleven behöver hjälp med strukturen hur eleven tar sig an en uppgift, att tydligheten är viktig. Specialpedagogerna menar att forskningen är till för att reflektera över vilken betydelse den har i praktiken, vad som stämmer överens och vad som inte stämmer överens med forskningen. Rektors uppfattning är att eleverna ska ha all den hjälp som de behöver, både personlig hjälp och hjälpmedel. Under samtliga lektioner har eleverna tillgång till två lärare och en elevassistent och vid behov specialpedagog. KunskapsbidragResurstilldelningen har betydelse för elevens lärande och kunskapsutveckling. Det måste vara hela skolans angelägenhet på alla nivåer: system-, organisations-, grupp- och individnivå att ha kunskaper om och förståelse för dyslexi. Skolans metoder är överförbara på andra ”vanliga” grund- och gymnasieskolor och bygger på beprövad erfarenhet. Det är den mottagande skolan som får avgöra om metoderna passar skolans villkor och förutsättningar. Specialpedagogiska implikationerI speciallärares profession ingår olika roller som att värna speciellt om de elever som är i behov av särskilt stöd. Specialläraren har också en viktig roll i samverkan med skolledningen, elevhälsoteamet och vårdnadshavare samt rollen som skolutvecklare och handledare.Nyckelorddyslexi, metakognition, scaffolding, skola / Abstract Methods of learning at a school for pupils with dyslexiaProblem areaMay pupils with dyslexia get the support they need and are entitled to at a dyslexia school?Purpose and specified issuesThe purpose is to explore teaching methods and environment at a school for pupils with dyslexia and if the school methods are transferable to others primary- and secondary schools. The purpose is to get an answer to what experiences that pupils, special educators and headmaster have. What benefits the pupil best in their learning.•What strategies do pupils for their learning?•How the pupil experiences learning environment at school?•What experiences have special educator of methods for pupils with dyslexia?•Experiencing special educators that their methods are based on tested experience?•Which view is headmaster of support for pupils with dyslexia?TheoryI chose to use three theories that affect the student´s terms and conditions for learning namely: systemstheory, special education and socio-cultural perspective.MethodI chose methods triangulation: interview of 8 students, grade 6-9, focusgroup interview – 4 special educators and an interview with the headmaster.Based on the analysis of empirical data is the phenomenological approach most appropriate.Results and analysisThe pupils feel that teachers have an understanding of dyslexia. The pupils get the support they need, fast personal support, access to compensatory aids, computers and access to the various programs. The pupils learn how to get “around” dyslexia.Knowledge grantsResource allocation is significant for student knowledge. It must be the whole school of awareness to have knowledge and understanding of dyslexia.Special educational implicationsSpecial teacher profession includes various roles as protecting especially for those pupils who are in need of special support. Special teacher has also an important role in cooperation with the school management, studenthealthteam, parents and as well as the role of school developers and tutors.keywords: dyslexia, metacognition, scaffolding, school ReferencesDavies, Michael & Smythe, Ian (2004). Welsh Dyslexia Project/Prosiect Dyslecsia Cymru. In: Ian, Smythe, John Everatt & Robin Salter (2004). International Book of Dyslexia - A guide to practice and resources (p.1-5). England: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Myrberg, Mats (2007). Dyslexi – en kunskapsöversikt. Stockholm: Vetenskapsrådets rapportserie 2: 2007.Riddick, Barbara (1998). Living with dyslexia – The social and Emotional Consequences of Specific Learning Difficulties. Great Britain: Mackays of Chatham PLC.

It has been shown that there exists a relationship between levels of metacognitive ability and estimation of personal ability for largely verbally-based tasks, where those with lessened facility for the task tend toward overestimation of their aptitude relative to their peers (Kruger and Dunning, 1999). This study examines this effect for a task of mechanical ability for volunteer participants (n = 69), where participants were given an abbreviated form of the Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test (BMCT) to establish a level of competency. Following the administration of the BMCT, the participants were then asked to speculate on the hypothetical grade for their performance, as well as the relationship between their hypothetical grade, and the grades of others. Participants then "tutored" a hypothetical student on the solution to one of the problems found on the BMCT, and their explanations were coded for degree of bias towards confirmation versus disconfirmation that was utilized in the problem solving. It was found that females' basic ability had a greater range than males', and females on the high and low ends of competency made greater use of confirming strategies in their problem solving. This is indicative of the overall observed interaction effect between Gender, Perceived Relative Competence, and Actual Competence observed in this study.

This experimental research study examined the effects of the Question-Answer Relationships (QAR) taxonomy on ninth-grade students’ ability to answer comprehension questions. Participants included 32 incoming ninth-grade students who were required to attend summer school due to poor attendance, grades, and/or standardized test scores. Participants were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Experimental group participants received one week of initial strategy instruction followed by three weeks of maintenance activities. Results indicated that the strategy had a negative effect on students’ question-answering ability and raised questions regarding comprehension instruction, length of interventions, and the role of scaffolded support for a target population of adolescent readers. Discussion of the results revolves around interventions, QAR instruction, reading ability, and motivation of the participants.

Increased technology reliance along with today’s global fast paced society has produced increasingly complex, dynamic operating environments in disciplines as diverse as the military, healthcare, and transportation. These complex human machine systems often place additional cognitive and metacognitive demands on the operator. Thus, there is a crucial need to develop training tools for all levels of operators in these dynamic systems. The current study was designed to empirically test the effects of four training methods on performance and mental model accuracy in a microworld simulation game. It was hypothesized that process-focused guidance targeting metacognitive level processes as well as combined process and problem focused guidance would result in better performance and mental model accuracy than problemfocused guidance alone or unguided training approaches. Additionally, it was expected that individual differences in prior decision making ability, metacognitive awareness, working memory span, and fluid intelligence would moderate the relationship between the type of instructional guidance and outcomes. Results supported the development of decision-making skills through process-focused instructional guidance, particularly for initially low performing or more novice individuals. Results highlight the importance of individual learner experience prior to training. Similarly, this research aims to expand the literature by providing support for process-focused training as a method to support non-expert decision making skills. While further research needs are outlined, the current research represents an important step forward in both the theoretical literature providing support for instruction designed to support domain general decision making skills in non-experts. iv Practical implications regarding improved guidance for future instructional and training systems design, personnel selection, operator and system performance evaluation, and safety are also discussed.

Metacognition, which involves monitoring and controlling of one’s thoughts and actions, is essential for guiding behavior and organization of information. Deficits in self-monitoring have been suggested to lead to psychosis and poor functional outcome. Abnormalities in eventrelated potentials originating from the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a brain region associated with error detection, have been consistently reported in individuals with schizophrenia during error monitoring tasks. This study sought to examine whether these abnormalities are present in individuals with a history of psychosis across diagnostic categories and whether they are associated with subjective appraisal of self-performance and personality traits related to psychosis. The error-related negativity (ERN), the correct response negativity (CRN), and the error positivity (Pe) were recorded in 15 individuals with a history of psychosis (PSY) and 12 individuals without a history of psychosis (CTR) during performance on a flanker task. Participants also continuously rated their performance on the task and completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire – Brief Revised (SPQ-BR). Compared with the CTR group, the PSY group exhibited reduced ERN and Pe amplitudes during error trials, but normal CRN and Pe amplitudes during correct trials. The PSY group also was less accurate at identifying their errors than the CTR group but just as accurate at identifying correct responses. Across all participants, smaller ERN amplitudes were associated with greater scores on the Disorganized factor of the SPQ-BR and smaller Pe amplitudes were associated with greater scores on the Cognitive Perceptual factor of the SPQ-BR. Individuals with a history of psychosis regardless of diagnosis demonstrated abnormal neural activity during error monitoring. Error monitoring deficits may be associated with vulnerability for psychosis across disorders.

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Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Metacognition, the ability to self-regulate one’s learning and performance, is well-known to provide numerous academic and professional benefits for students, educators, and clinicians. However, few studies have studied metacognition specifically in the context of anatomical sciences education. Therefore, the overarching purpose of this dissertation was to explore the metacognition of students and educators who are learning and teaching the anatomical sciences. This dissertation investigated the metacognition of allied health students (physical therapy, physician assistant, and occupational therapy; n=109), first-year medical students (n=1802), and anatomy educators (faculty, associate instructors, and teaching assistants; n=13) in anatomy courses through three multiple-methods studies. Quantitative data were collected using assessment data and either the Metacognition Awareness Inventory (MAI), Practice-Based Learning and Improvement (PBLI) assignments, or Teacher Metacognition Inventory (TMI). These data were then analyzed using the appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data were also collected through reflective writing activities (e.g., online discussion boards or reflective journals) and analyzed using thematic or framework analysis. Overall, both students and educators improved their metacognition across a semester of either learning or teaching anatomy, with certain subgroups demonstrating greater metacognitive ability or growth than others. Higher performing allied health and medical students were both more accurate at predicting their exam performances compared to their lower performing peers. Faculty also demonstrated the greatest teaching-specific metacognition, though teaching assistants exhibited the greatest growth in their teaching-specific metacognition. These improvements were primarily in their reflective ability and awareness of personal strengths and weaknesses as teachers. Several notable themes relating to metacognition were also identified such as student willingness to monitor learning diminishing over time due to competing academic or professional commitments. Additionally, novice educators were more inwardly-focused on personal traits and content mastery, whereas experienced educators were more outwardly-focused on interpersonal factors (e.g., student rapport and inclusive language). These insights into the metacognition of both students and educators can inform how to best support and improve teaching and learning in the anatomical sciences. Given the significance of metacognition, it may be beneficial to incorporate educational activities that can support the metacognition of both students and educators, simultaneously.

Critical thinking is an academically coveted skill important to all areas of education (Halpern, 1998). The ability to think critically requires an individual to question and possibly reject accepted ideals and authorities. A strong self-concept may play an important role in this process. The present study hypothesized a positive relationship between total self-concept and critical thinking ability. An additional purpose of this study was to explore whether self-concept accounted for more of the variance in critical thinking than other correlates of the ability, such as metacognition (Halpern, 1998; Magno, 2010) and openness to experience (Clifford, Boufal, & Kurtz, 2004). The hypothesis was supported; total self-concept significantly and positively correlated with the total score of critical thinking. Regression analyses revealed self-concept was a better predictor of critical thinking, accounting for 19.2% more variance in critical thinking than metacognition and openness to experience. Overall, the results suggest that nourishing students' self-concept may support their ability to think critically.

The purpose of this research thesis is to investigate technologies effects on learning. Specifically the researchers studied the usability of intelligent personal assistant-enabled devices for learning assistance. It is assumed that using technology in educational context helps both students and educators because there is a positive effect on engagement which increases learning curves. Although, this is not always the case. The present study yielded results that were not consistent with the assumption that using any type of technology as an aid for learning has a positive effect. Further research will seek to investigate other intelligent personal assistant devices for classroom use.

Self-regulated learning (SRL) and higher-order thinking (metacognitive processes) are important in education because they contribute to effective learning and improved academic performance. These processes may be facilitated by the implementation of computer technology in the classroom. This research project examined the use of computer technology among elementary school students and possible effects on self-regulated learning and metacognitive processes, including the ability to plan, monitor, evaluate one’s own work, and apply specific learning strategies. Two main research questions were investigated: (1) Do elementary school students demonstrate SRL metacognitive processes when they use computers and paper-pencil for reading-relating tasks, and what are the key SRL metacognitive processes? (2) Are there differences in SRL metacognitive processes between computer-based and paper-pencil reading tasks in elementary grades? Recruitment of students occurred at the local school district’s after-school programs. A total of 52 students from Grades 2-5 consented to participate in two conditions, a computer-based and a paper-pencil reading task, each lasting approximately 30 minutes. Observations, ratings, and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The quantitative portion included descriptive and correlational statistics. Differences in SLR metacognitive constructs between conditions and between grades were explored. Inferential statistics employed a 2 x 4 (condition-by-grade) mixed-model Analysis of Variance and follow-up tests. The qualitative portion included primary analytic strategies, thematic analysis, and triangulation across data sources. The results indicated that metacognitive self-regulated learning skills were present in students of primary grades. There were no differences between grades or between conditions for most regulation of cognition constructs except for control and evaluation practices. Among knowledge of cognition constructs, conditional knowledge was higher in the paper than in the computer reading assignment across grades. The qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results. Students in primary grades demonstrated SRL metacognitive processes, and these were more common in the paper than in the computer condition. These findings are explained by the familiarity with the reading medium, the integration of multimedia and verbal cues, the speed for corrective actions, and the use of prior knowledge. These important insights can contribute to improved academic performance and higher order thinking among young students. The results also suggest that students can benefit from focused instruction to perform transfer of knowledge between the two reading formats - computer and paper.