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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Educ.
Sec. STEM Education
Volume 9 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1460496

The impact of a metacognition-based course on school students' metacognitive skills and biology comprehension

Provisionally accepted
Ainur Sadykova Ainur Sadykova 1*Marzhan Iskakova Marzhan Iskakova 1Gulnara Ismailova Gulnara Ismailova 1Albina Ishmukhametova Albina Ishmukhametova 2Anar Sovetova Anar Sovetova 2Kuralay Mukasheva Kuralay Mukasheva 3
  • 1 Alikhan Bokeikhan University, Semey, Kazakhstan
  • 2 Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics, Semey, Kazakhstan
  • 3 Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Chemistry and Biology, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The fast-paced and intricate nature of the current society, coupled with the ongoing changes in educational requirements, calls for the cultivation of higher-order thinking skills. To that end, adopting metacognitive strategies could be instrumental. This paper aimed to evaluate the effects of a 10-week-long metacognition-based biology course on school students' metacognition and biology comprehension.Methods: Employing a mixed-methods quasi-experimental design, the study involved 120 eighthgraders from two public schools. One group was exposed to metacognitive questioning, while the other one continued with regular classroom activities.The results showed that participants who received metacognition-guided instruction achieved higher scores on the biology test and reported improved metacognition as compared to those who followed the standard curriculum. These outcomes were consistent across genders and regardless of whether a student reported a deep or surface learning approach. Qualitative analysis extracted themes of collaboration and understanding among the students. They appreciated the specificity of tasks, which deepened their comprehension, and valued collaborative learning facilitated by metacognitive prompts. These prompts not only enhanced their understanding but also contributed to fostering a positive classroom environment.This research underscores the effectiveness of metacognitive support in enhancing biology education. It advocates for the integration of metacognitive strategies into classroom practices, emphasizing the positive impact they can have on students' learning experiences and outcomes.

    Keywords: Deep learning approach, metacognition, Metacognitive questioning, school biology, Surface learning approach

    Received: 06 Jul 2024; Accepted: 07 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Sadykova, Iskakova, Ismailova, Ishmukhametova, Sovetova and Mukasheva. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ainur Sadykova, Alikhan Bokeikhan University, Semey, Kazakhstan

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.