Effects of metacognitive instructions on mathematical reasoning ability in the elementary school students

아동의 메타인지를 유발하는 발문이 수학적 추론능력에 미치는 영향

The objective of the present study was designed to examine that metacognition education had any promoting effects on the development of students' reasoning ability. Two classes in the 5th grade were asked to participated for the present study. Prior to the metacognition teaching, both the experimental and control group classes were given to the preliminary test in which students' basic ability for mathematical reasoning was graded. Then, the students in the experimental group were given 8hour teaching for the topics on the symmetric properties of geometric figures. The present findings indicate that educational application which motivates metacognition can improve mathematical reasoning ability in elementary students. It is widely accepted that metacognition is an active and conscious mental activity, helps the students perceive voluntarily the study items, and further plays an important role in constructing independent and active thinking processes. Accordingly, the present results implicate that the practical performance of metacognition education into the class indeed contributes to build up or strengthen students' voluntary ways of reasoning.