• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.604-613
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a metastrategic activity on the development of student variable controlling abilities. Three groups of seventh graders at a middle-school in the City of Daegu participated in this study: a metastrategy activity group (ME), a problem-solving activity group (PR), and a control group (CO). The ME group was given metastrategy activity worksheets, which required students to monitor, control, and evaluate variable control strategies in a specified situation. The PR group was given problem-solving activity worksheets, which were needed to solve problems in various situations. The results were seen as follows. First, the metastrategy activity group showed better achievement (p<.05) and a longer standing effect (p<.01) than the other groups in the development of variable control ability. The problem-solving activity group was more effective than the control group (p<.05) in the development of variable controlled ability, but there was no lasting effect of the acquired ability. Second, the metastrategic activity group was more effective than the problem-solving activity group in finding fixed variables (p<.01), but not as effective in uncovering independent variables. What is not transferred to the development of the ability to find dependent variables.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.154-165
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of metastrategic exercise on a scientific reasoning strategy to control variables, and investigate the developmental patterns in the strategy usage within a given period. Two groups composed of 90 fifth grade students engaged in a scientific reasoning task over six daily sessions. Additionally, one group engaged in metastrategic exercise on fictional students' strategies of controlling variables on the task, while the other spent equivalent time on an unrelated task. Based upon results of the study, the following conclusions can be drawn. First, the metacognitive exercise on the strategy to control variables has positive and long-standing effects on the strategy performance at the reasoning task. The exercise also takes effect of near-transfer. Taking into consideration only about sixty minutes of metastrategic practice, the results provide the validity of the activity in order to develop children's reasoning strategies. Second, in a scientific reasoning task, each child seems to go through one out of two developmental patterns in their usage of reasoning strategies: gradual change or fundamental change. Considering the ratio of pattern of fundamental change between the two groups, it is clear that the metacognitive exercise influences the developmental pattern of strategy usage.