Metacognitive Strategy-Based Instruction, Mathematical Conceptual Understanding, and Metacognitive Awareness among Prospective Elementary School Teachers

Source abstract

Prospective elementary teachers need conceptual understanding of mathematics and the ability to monitor their own learning. Yet evidence remains limited on how explicit metacognitive strategy instruction relates to conceptual understanding and metacognitive awareness during teacher preparation. This study aims to compare mathematical conceptual understanding under metacognitive strategy-based and conventional instruction and examine its association with metacognitive awareness. The study employed a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control-group pretest–posttest design involving 68 prospective elementary teachers (34 per group) across eight instructional sessions. Data were obtained from open-ended mathematics tests, a 30-item Metacognitive Awareness Inventory, classroom observations, and reflective journals, and analyzed using t-tests, analysis of covariance, standardized mean differences, and Pearson correlations. The results showed higher posttest conceptual understanding in the strategy-based group (M = 82.35, SD = 6.78) than in the comparison group (M = 72.14, SD = 7.25), with a significant pretest-adjusted difference, F(1, 65) = 34.87, p < .001. Reported increases in metacognitive awareness were 13.21 and 3.32 points, respectively, and awareness was positively correlated with conceptual understanding (r = .67, p < .001). Classroom records also documented more planning, monitoring, and evaluation activities during strategy-based instruction. These findings contribute evidence for integrating metacognitive strategies into elementary mathematics teacher preparation, while implications for classroom teaching and pupils’ learning require further investigation.