Metacognitive awareness, self-directedness in learning and performance of prospective intermediate-senior phase mathematics teachers

Abstract

There is a gap between the knowledge and skills taught at school and the knowledge and skills needed in the workplace and society. Metacognitive awareness and self-directedness in learning are concepts referred to in terms of the knowledge and skills needed for learning in the 21st century. The aim of this study was twofold: firstly, to investigate the levels of metacognitive awareness and self-directedness in the own mathematics learning of prospective intermediate and senior phase mathematics teachers (in their second or third year in a BEd programme) (N = 77); and secondly to explore the correlations between factors and subscales of metacognitive awareness, levels of self-directedness in their learning and a learning performance in a mathematics module. The data of the current study was collected by administering two questionnaires, namely the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI), developed by Schraw and Dennisson (1994) and the Self-rating Scale of Self-directed Learning (SRSSDL), developed by Williamson (2007). Both questionnaires were adapted for prospective teachers’ learning in mathematics and were available in Afrikaans, as well as English. The questionnaires served as guidelines to investigate the concepts ‘metacognitive awareness’ and ‘self-directedness in mathematics learning’. A third variable was a learning ‘performance in mathematics’ (module mark achieved by respondents in the previous semester). For purposes of data analysis, respondents’ scores, Cronbach α-coefficients, and Pearson r-correlation coefficients were calculated. High Cronbach α-coefficients were found. Results and the interpretation of statistical analyses confirmed the existence of correlations between subscales or dimensions of the two questionnaires.