The effect of metacognitive strategies instructed through cognitive coaching on students? epistemological beliefs, metacognitive skills, academic achievement and the retention of these in 6th grade social studies course

This study investigates the effect of instruction based on cognitive strategies through cognitive coaching on the epistemological beliefs, on metacognitive skills and academic success, and on the retention of these. The study was designed as pre test post test control group experimental design in which the groups were designed as two control and one experimental group. The researcher instructed the first control and the experimental group in the related unit and the second control group was instructed by the class teacher.The study was conducted in the second semester of 2007-2008 education year with 6th graders in İsmet İnönü, Celalettin Sayhan and Töbank Elementary schools located in Seyhan, Adana. The participants of the study were 70 students: 20 in the first experimental group, 25 in the first control group, and 25 in the second control group. The groups were equalized according to ?the achievement test on the sources of our country?, ?metacognition scale?, ?epistemological beliefs scale? and ?SED? pre test results.The data obtained from the study were analyzed using SPSS 15.0 statistical programming. After the means and the standard deviations were presented descriptively, their correlations were analyzed using One-way analysis of variance (Anova) and covariance analysis (Ancova).As a result, a significant difference was found in experimental group?s favor regarding achievement test total, recall, comprehension and higher-level acquisition marks. While a significant difference was observed in experimental group?s favor in terms of the achievement test retention marks total, comprehension, higher level acquisition, a significant difference was found in the first control group?s favor in terms of recall marks. When the data obtained from metacognition scale were analyzed, a significant difference was found in experimental group?s favor regarding self monitoring, evaluation, awareness, and cognitive strategies. A significant difference was found between experimental and the first control group and experimental and the second control group regarding awareness post test marks while no significant difference was detected between the first and second control groups. As to metacognitive scale retention marks, although a significant difference was found in experimental group?s favor regarding awareness, no significant difference was found in experimental group?s favor regarding cognitive strategies and evaluation aspects. However, the second control group displayed a significant difference in self monitoring. When the epistemological beliefs scale was analyzed, no significant difference was found in experimental group?s favor regarding the belief that learning depends on effort. However, a significant difference was found in experimental group?s favor in the aspect of the belief that learning depends on ability. When the post test results of the belief that there is only one truth were analyzed, a significant difference was found in experimental group?s favor. When we analyzed the effect of epistemological beliefs on retention, we found a significant difference in experimental group?s favor in the aspects of the beliefs that learning depends on effort and learning depends on ability. A significant difference was detected in terms of retention between experimental group and the first and the second control groups regarding epistemological belief scale the belief that learning depends on ability. As for the aspect of the belief that there is only one truth, no significant difference was detected between the groups in terms of retention marks. With regard to the implementation steps of metacognition strategy through cognitive coaching, students in the experimental group stated that they evaluated the courses positively, comprehended topics better, gained metacognitive skills and applied these skills in other lessons.