This mixed methods dissertation explores the impact of metacognitive support
(reflective journal entries and a think-aloud exercise) in a PBL (problem-based learning)
unit. While students are developing a solution for a PBL unit they may become occupied
solely in solving the problem or task and not take time to fully consider what and how
they have learned. This study examined how a metacognitive reflective component in a
problem-based learning curriculum aids the learning process. The problem explored in
this dissertation is that though problem-based learning may engage students, it is not
known to what extent reflection adds to learners? development and application of critical
thinking skills such as problem solving.
The participant observer taught a problem-based learning unit concurrently with
a poetry unit in three secondary senior-level English/language arts classrooms over a six
weeks period. Four data sources were analyzed quantitatively: a pre-test and post-test on
poetry terms, students? essay scores, and a survey. To determine differences between groups ANCOVA (Analysis of Covariance) was used to analyze the results of the poetry
terms pre-test and post-test of the two experimental groups and the control group.
MANCOVA (Multivariate Analysis of Covariance) was used to compare the results of
the two experimental groups and the control group on the criteria of the essay.
MANCOVA was also conducted to compare survey results between the experimental
groups and the control group. The ANCOVA and MANCOVA tests used SPSS
software. Additionally, qualitative analysis used a constant comparison method to
analyze students? journal entries and a think-aloud exercise to provide insights
concerning the research questions.
The overall findings of this study fail to lend support for the intervention that was
examined. The quantitative analysis results were not statistically significant between the
two experimental groups and the control group. While the qualitative data sources
provided some insights regarding how students learn, the data did not indicate that this
type of metacognitive support greatly impacted student learning over the course of this
study.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:tamu.edu/oai:repository.tamu.edu:1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2008-08-30 |
| Date | 16 January 2010 |
| Creators | Seifert, Kathryn A. |
| Contributors | Loving, Cathleen, Pedersen, Susan |
| Source Sets | Texas A and M University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Book, Thesis, Electronic Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
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