A Study of the Effect of Metacognitive Instructional Strategies on the Scientific Attitude of Students at Senior Secondary Level

Abstract

The present study examined the specific aspect of applying metacognitive instructional strategies on the scientific attitude of students at senior secondary level. This is becoming a new trend not to opt science subjects for higher studies in spite among good achievers. By designing learning based on an active participation of students, and constructive approach, teachers can continuously evaluate their students level of understanding for facilitating learning more effectively. In science subject, to develop scientific attitude is a main objective of teaching learning process out of which chemistry subject has always been difficult to understand because of its complexity and abstract form especially for students having biology stream. When it comesto design innovative learning method it is defined in various ways like as Learning is enhanced by challenge and it always involves conscious and unconscious processing (Foganty, 2009).The new trends in innovative practices and instructional design need to focus on higher order forms of thinking which depict the process of learning rather than the product of learning. (Caine&Caine, 1991).It requires the involvement of metacognitive components of self-regulation, monitoring and reflection in teaching learning process.Thinking about our own thinking and learn how to plans, monitors own task is described as metacognition.
Thus in the present study an attempt has been madeby an experimental work to implement metacognitive instructional strategies for constructing a culture of thinking among senior secondary students and provide the opportunities for metacognitive thinking to promote their scientific attitude. In metacognitive instructional strategies Think Pair Share (TPS) Instructional strategy and Reflection Journal writing isadopted for creating environment of reflection and discussion among the students. The finding of the study indicates that prolonged engagement of students in metacognitive questions provides them opportunities to fostering their metacognition and also their scientific attitude.