The effect of metacognitive instruction on problem solving achievement of fifth grade primary school students

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of being thought to use metacognition strategies on fifth grade primary school students? mathematical problem solving achievement. The effects of metacognitive strategy instruction on problem solving heuristics described by Polya (1981) (understanding the problem, devising a plan, carrying out the plan and looking back) were also investigated in the study. A pretest-posttest control group experimental study design was used. The study took place over a nine week period in the 2006-2007 academic year with 47 fifth grade students. Students in the experimental group (n=24) instructed by metacognitive problem solving activities for nine weeks to improve their metacognitive knowledge and control skills. The control group (n=23) continued to their existing lessons. Students were pretested and posttested with vi the following instruments: Problem Solving Achievement Test and Inventory of Metacognitive Skills and Knowledge (MSA `98R). ANOVA and paired samples t test was performed. The results indicated that students in the metacognitive treatment group (experimental group) significantly improved in both problem solving achievement and metacognitive skills, and this improvement was more than the control group?s either problem solving achievement or metacognitive skills. On the other hand, ?devising a plan? scores of problem solving achievement increased more than the other subcategories of problem solving process for the experimental group. The students in the non-metacognitive group (control group) did not show any improvement significantly.