Effect of meta-cognitive instruction and cooperative learning strategies on students achievement in science

Abstract

It is commonly observed that our students are deprived from the practical ways of teaching and most of our teaching and learning system is based on the rote memorization without any thinking and cooperation of students. So in this research work researcher tried to introduce the higher level methods of teaching which are very essential while teaching the students for proper concept development and to make them creative. The nature of research used in this study was true experimental research consisting pre-test and post test control group design. This study consists of 2 experimental groups and 1 control group. The 2 experimental groups were consisting on meta-cognitive instruction group and cooperative learning group respectively. The students of former group were thought with the help of meta-cognitive strategies and the students of later group were thought by the cooperative learning method. On the other hand the control group students were taught according to their previous routine no specific treatment was applied on them. The population of this study was the biology students of secondary level and the sample was selected from the Faran Model High School Jhang. The researcher selected the sampled school by using convenient sampling technique and the sample for this study was divided in groups by using random sampling technique. The sample was all the biology students of 10th class section A enrolled in Faran Girls High School, Satellite Town Jhang. The reasons for selecting the private sector school were that, the public sector high schools were not willing to approach their students due to safety issues and government policies. Then the private school was selected as the sample of study because the standard of this school was very near to the public sector schools. There were total 69 students who were enrolled in the 10th class. From that class 9 students were not punctual and not interested to participate in the study. Hence the researcher selected the 60 students for this study and the researcher randomly divides the students in 3 groups as defined earlier. Through this sampling technique equivalent groups were formed as they were double checked i.e. by randomization and pre-test. The pre-test results of the sample ensure the equality of groups. All the sampled students were taught by their own school teachers to avoid the threats of validity. The researcher took the pre test and post test based on biology subject to compare the achievement level of students and Meta-cognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) was filled from all the students of 3 groups as pre-test for the sake to equalize the groups and the post test of MAI was taken from experimental group 2. ix The participants of experimental group 1 and experimental group 2 were taught same topics but in different teaching methods i.e. group 1 with IDEAL (Identify, Define, Explore, Act, Look) and group 2 with CL strategies. The participants of group 1 have to understand the concepts by using the IDEAL technique by thinking while the group 2 was divided in small groups. Each group comprised on 5 students. They learn the things by sharing the concepts with each other within the group and with other groups as well. On the other hand the control group participants were taught simply by lecture methods. The teacher covered section I consisting of 2 chapters from the book named ‘’ Gaseous Exchange’’ and ‘’ Homeostasis’’. After intervention of 11 weeks the researcher took the post test from all the groups. The data were analyzed with the help of descriptive statistics, paired sample t-test, one way analysis of variance (ANOVA), one way analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA), and cross tabulation. The results of this study concludes that there was no noteworthy difference exist between respondents of each groups such as control, experimental 1 and experimental 2 based on randomization of data. Later treatment given to first experimental group based on meta-cognitive learning which helps the students of the same group performed comparatively significantly better than peers in rest of groups such as cooperative learning group as well as control group. The results of paired sample t-statistics also help to come to this point that better performance was observed in the level of better learning based on meta-cognitive learning skills being part of daily life teaching and learning. These skills are not only helpful for the teachers to think critically but also helpful for learners to perform better in their professional career which is more important for development of our generations. So, on the bases of these results it was recommended by the researcher that teachers should focus on their teaching method and should use such teaching methods which compel the students to think and to be cooperative with one another. Keywords: Meta-cognitive instruction, Meta-cognitive awareness, Regulation of knowledge, Cooperative learning strategies,