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