The Impact of the Modified Know-Want-Learn Strategy on Students’ Performance and Metacognition in Primary School Physics Teaching

Abstract

Students perceive physics as a difficult teaching subject and have prejudices about this subject before they get acquainted with its content as a part of teaching physics. Poor students’ performance in physics indicate the need to use appropriate strategies in the teaching process that can help students in mastering physics contents. Since there is a correlation between students’ performance and metacognition, it is preferably to apply strategies that at the same time encourage the development of metacognition. In this paper a modified Know-Want-Learn strategy is proposed, which can be used in teaching with the aim of encouraging research and practical work. Within the modified strategy, students fill in four columns: What I Think and what I know; What Questions I have; How can I find out; and What I Learned. The aim of the conducted research was to examine the impact of the modified Know-Want-Learn strategy on students’ performance and metacognition in primary school physics teaching. Pedagogical experiment with parallel groups (experimental andcontrol) was carried out; 141 students (5 classes) of the sixth grade (aged 11-12 years) participated. Students' performance was assessed with the use of pre-test and post-test that were created for the purpose of research, while questionnaire on metacognition was used for evaluation of students' metacognition. Statistical analysis of the obtained data showed that the implementation of the modified Know-Want-Learn strategy, in sixth grade primary school physics teaching, has positive impact on students' performance and metacognition. Besides, it has been shown that performance is not dependant, while metacognition is dependant on students' gender. On the basis of the obtained data, it was found that there is statistically significant weak correlation between students' performance and metacognition. The research results suggest that proposed strategy should be used in primary school physics teaching.

Učenici doživljavaju fiziku kao težak nastavni predmet i imaju predrasude o fizici kao nauci i pre nego što se upoznaju sa njenim sadržajem u okviru nastave fizike. Slaba postignuća učenika iz fizike ukazuju na potrebu da se u nastavi primenjuju odgovarajuće strategije koje mogu pomoći učenicima u savladavanju sadržaja fizike. S obzirom na to da postoji veza između postignuća i metakognicije učenika, poželjno je primenjivati strategije koje istovremeno podstiču razvoj metakognicije. U ovom radu je predložena modifikovana strategije Znam-Želim da znam-Naučio sam, koja se može koristiti u nastavi fizike s ciljem podsticanja istraživanja i praktičnog rada. U okviru modifikovane strategije učenici popunjavaju tabelu od četiri kolone: Mislim i znam; Pitanja koja imam; Kako mogu da saznam; i Naučio sam.Cilj sprovedenog istraživanja bio je da se ispita uticaj primene modifikovane strategije Znam-Želim da znam-Naučio sam postignuća i metakogniciju učenika u osnovnoškolskoj nastavifizike. U realizovanom pedagoškom eksperimentu sa paralelnim grupama (eksperimentalnom i kontrolnom), učestvovao je 141 učenik (5 odeljenja) šestog razreda (uzrasta 11-12 godina). Postignuća učenika su procenjena primenom inicijalnog i finalnog testa koji su kreirani za potrebe istraživanja, dok je za procenu metakognicije učenika korišćen upitnik o nivou metakognicije. Statističkom obradom dobijenih podataka pokazano je da primena modifikovane strategije Znam-Želim da znam-Naučio sam, u realizaciji nastave fizike u šestom razredu osnovne škole,pozitivno utiče na učenička postignuća i metakogniciju. Takođe,pokazano je da postignuća ne zavise, dok metakognicija zavisi od pola učenika. Na osnovu dobijenih podataka utvrđeno je da postoji statistički značajna slaba korelacija između učeničkih postignuća i metakognicije. Rezultati istraživanja ukazuju na to da bi opisana strategija trebalo da se koristi u osnovnoškolskoj nastavi fizike.