Effects Of Metacongnition Training On The Middle School Students' Learning Outcomes In Biology

To make students learn how to learn is one of the major tasks of the present teaching reforms in China. In order to achieve it, teachers should not only tell the students which learning strategies are existing, more important, they must train students' metacognitive ability. In this way, students can really grasp the learning strategies and apply them. Metacognition was defined as "the cognition of ongoing cognitive activities ",which included three components: metacognitive knowledge, metacognitive experience and metacognitive monitoring. In accordance with learning goals, the learners continually carry on self-monitoring, self-evaluation and self-regulation. In an effect, Learning efficiency will be enhanced.This research was guided by the theory of metacognition. Learning strategies were presented to the students and metacognition training was conducted. Based on the general principles of teaching and learning biology, the researcher put the theory of metacognition into teaching practices and worked out a training process: To help students understand metacognition and adjust their view of learning; To assist students in applying their metacognitive knowledge; To lead students introspecting metacognition and learning "how to learn". The following 8 procedures were carried out: ① introducing metacognitive knowledge, ② developing the consciousness of metacognitive monitoring, ③ training of the ability in planning the learning process, ④ learning by making notes, ⑤ training of metacognitive strategies, ⑥Inquiring learning,⑦ test marks self-estimating, ⑧ training of positive attribution.The training was applied to two classes of Students from the grade 2 of the No. 27 Junior Middle School in Shijiazhuang. The following aspects were investigated: students' performance in biology, their interests in learning biology, and their ability on self-monitoring learning. After a semester of training, questionnaires were used to examine the effects of this training. The results showed: 1) The metacognitiort training was able to promote the students' performance in biology. However, the promotion varied according to the levels of the students: average and below-average students benefited substantially from the training, while the influence on the best students were minor. 2) Students' interests in Biology was developed to a certain degree, but the effect was not significant. 3) The training could successfully improve students' ability on self-monitoring learning. This was demonstrated by the substantially strong effects on factors "ability to plan, to apply, to summarize, to use strategies", and by the strong effects on factors "ability to prepare and to make feedback".This research proved the applicability and the effectiveness of metacognition training in the practice of biology teaching in middle schools. To develop students' capability on self-monitoring learning is one of the key methods to achieve the goal that students should master "the genuine way to learn". Therefore, teachers are suggested to carry out metacognition trainings in their teaching practices, to help students acquiring metacognitive knowledge, regulating learning processes and developing abilities of self- monitoring.