The Influence of Metacognitive Problem Solving Strategy on the Problem Solving Skills of Gifted Children

Author: Chih-Chung Lin (Taipei Municipal Min-Chuan Primary School)

Vol.&No.：Vol. 44, No.1&2
Date：October 1999
Pages：61-81
DOI：10.6300/JNTNU.1999.44.04

Abstract：

In this study, I designed a set of teaching activities based on Steinberg's (1986) theory, the Skills for improving metacomponential skills, to teach students how to solve problems using Metacognitive Problem Solving Strategy. The usefulness of the set of teaching activities in improving the problem solving skills of gifted children was evaluated using a nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group design. The sample of this study consisted of 38 gifted students in two fifth grade classes within two elementary schools with similar sizes and community environments in Taipei. One class was the experimental group, which participated the teaching activities to learn the Metacognitive Problem Solving Strategy. The other was the control group. There were 19 gifted children in each class. The research instruments included self-designed scientific problem solving test, and non-routine problem solving test. Data were analyzed using the 2x2 mixed design two-way ANOVA. The major findings were as following: 1. In the scientific problem solving test, the posttest scores were significantly higher than the pretest scores in the experimental group; whereas, the scores between the pretest and the posttest were not statistically different in the control group. 2. In the non-routine problem solving test, the posttest scores were significantly higher than the pretest scores in both the experimental and the control groups. However, the improvement in the experimental group was better than in the control group. The results suggest that teaching Metacognitive Problem Solving Strategy will improve the problem solving skills of gifted children. Research recommendations include investigating the inner processes of metacognition in problem solving and evaluating the difference between Metacognitive Problem Solving Strategy and general problem solving models. Implications for elementary schools to select teaching materials and design teaching activities are also discussed.

Keywords：Gifted Children, Metacognition, Reciprocal teaching, Science problem solving

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