Metacognition & Study Skills in Honors Biology Students
Janet L Branchaw, Ph.D., Institute for Cross-college Biology Education, University of Wisconsin – Madison
ReferencesSchraw, G. and Dennison, R. Assessing Metacognitive Awareness.
Contenproary Educational Psychology (1994) 19, 460-475.
Biggs, J., Kember, D. and Leung, D, Y. P. The Revised two-factor Study Process Questionnaire: R-SPQ-2F. British Journal of Educational Psychology (2001) 71, 133-149.
ResultsMetacognitive Awareness
Study Skills
Study DesignHonors biology students were asked to anonymously
self-assess their metacognitive awareness and study skills using two online surveys, each taken at four time points during their undergraduate career.
SurveysMetacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI)
KNOWLEDGE OF COGNITION =Declarative Knowledge + Procedural
Knowledge + Conditional Knowledge
REGULATION OF COGNITION =Planning + Information Management
Strategies + Comprehension Monitoring + Debugging Strategies + Evaluation
Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ)DEEP LEARNING = Motive + Strategy
SURFACE LEARNING = Motive + Strategy
Timeline for Survey AdministrationYear 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4
Fall Spring Fall Spring Fall Spring Fall Spring
S1 S1-S2 S2-S3 S3-S4 S4-S5 S5-S6 S6-S7 S7-S8 S8
Research QuestionHow do the metacognitive and study skills of honors
biology students at the University of Wisconsin -Madison develop throughout their undergraduate career?
Conclusions• No significant changes in metacognitive
awareness or study skills were reported by honors biology students from S2-S3 to S5-S6.
• Students reported higher awareness of cognition, relative to their ability to regulate their cognition, but results in the two categories are correlated.
• Students reported higher levels of deep learning study skills relative to surface learning study skills.
Student Self-Assessment of Metacognitive Awareness. Average responses to survey questions addressing each of the categories from four data collection times are presented (S2-S3, n = 82; S3-S4, n = 85; S4-S5, n = 57; S5-S6, n = 57). Each bar represents the mean and standard error. Students were asked to select the answer that best fits their immediate reaction. (1= very false; 2 = somewhat false; 3 = neutral; 4 = somewhat true; 5 = very true).
Student Self-Assessment of Study Skills. Average responses to survey questions addressing each of the categories from four data collection times are presented (S2-S3, n = 82; S3-S4, n = 85; S4-S5, n = 57; S5-S6, n = 57). Each bar represents the mean and standard error. Students were asked to select the answer that best fits their immediate reaction. (1= rarely true; 2 = sometimes true; 3 = true about half the time; 4 = frequently true; 5 = always true).
Future Studies• Sample all time points; include non-honors students.• Correlate survey results with academic performance
parameters (e.g. ACT or SAT scores, GPA, etc.)• Use surveys to evaluate teaching interventions.
1.5
2.5
3.5
4.5S2-S3 S3-S4 S4-S5 S5-S6
DEEP LEARNING SURFACE LEARNING1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4