Metacognition & Study Skills in Honors Biology Students

1. Metacognition & Study Skills in Honors Biology Students Janet L Branchaw, Ph.D., Institute for Cross-college Biology Education, University of Wisconsin – Madison Research Question How do the metacognitive and study skills of honors biology students at the University of Wisconsin -Madison develop throughout their undergraduate career? Results Metacognitive Awareness Study Skills Study Design Honors 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. Surveys • Metacognitive 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 Administration Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Fall  Spring Fall  Spring Fall  Spring Fall  Spring  • S1 S1-S2 S2-S3 S3-S4 S4-S5S5-S6 S6-S7 S7-S8 S8 Student Self-Assessment of Metacognitive Awareness. Averageresponses 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. Averageresponses 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). • 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. • 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. References Schraw, 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.