Investigation of Gifted Students' Epistemological Beliefs, Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Metacognition Use

Yıl 2018, Cilt: 6 Sayı: 3, 30 - 38, 15.09.2018

Fatma Melike Uçar

Öz

The aim of this study is to examine how well gifted
students’ self-efficacy and epistemological beliefs (justification, development
and source/certainty) predict their metacognitin use in science problem
solving. For this purpose, Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire, Motivated
Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, and Metacognitive Activities
Inventory were administered to 81 gifted
students. Results of multiple regression analysis showed that the gifted
students who feel self-efficacious in science and who believe that scientific knowledge can change, and it is constructed by
judging evidence and experts’ opinions critically tend to use metacognition at higher levels while solving
science problems. Based on these findings, some
suggestions were made for teachers to be able to
help students use metacognition more effectively in science classes.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Gifted students, metacogntion, self-efficacy, epistemological beliefs

Kaynakça

• Bandura, A. (1993). Perceived self-efficacy in cognitive development and functioning. Educational Psychologist, 28, 117–148.Bandura, A., & Wood, R. (1989). Effect of perceived controllability and performance standards on self-regulation of complex decision making. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56(5), 805.Barfurth, M. A., Ritchie, K. C., Irving, J. A., & Shore, B. M. (2009). A metacognitive portrait of gifted learners. In International handbook on giftedness (pp. 397-417). Springer, Dordrecht.Bouffard-Bouchard, T., Parent, S., & Larivee, S. (1991). Influence of self-efficacy on self-regulation and performance among junior and senior high-school age students. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 14(2), 153-164.Conley, A. M., Pintrich, P. R., Vekiri, I., & Harrison, D. (2004). Changes in epistemological beliefs in elementary science students. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 29(2), 186-204.Cooper, M. M., Sandi–Urena, S., & Stevens, R. (2008). Reliable multi method assessment of metacognition use in chemistry problem solving. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 9(1), 18-24.Coutinho, S. (2008). Self-efficacy, metacognition, and performance. North American Journal of Psychology, 10(1), 165.Gadanidis, G., Hughes, J., & Cordy, M. (2011). Mathematics for gifted students in an arts-and technology-rich setting. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 34(3), 397-433.Hannah, J., James, A., Montelle, C., & Nokes, J. (2011). Meeting the needs of our best and brightest: curriculum acceleration in tertiary mathematics. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 42(3), 299-312.Hébert, T. P., & Neumeister, K. L. S. (2000). University mentors in the elementary classroom: supporting the intellectual, motivational, and emotional needs of high-ability students. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 24(2), 122-148.Hidiroglu, F. M. (2014). The role of perceived classroom goal structures, self-efficacy, and the student engagement in seventh grade students’ science achievement. Middle East Technical University, Turkey: Unpublished master’s thesis.Hofer, B. K. (2004). Epistemological understanding as a metacognitive process: Thinking aloud during online searching. Educational Psychologist, 39(1), 43-55.Hofer, B. K., & Pintrich, P. R. (1997). The development of epistemological theories: Beliefs about knowledge and knowing and their relation to learning. Review of Educational Research, 67(1), 88-140.Jang, H., Reeve, J., & Deci, E. L. (2010). Engaging students in learning activities: It is not autonomy support or structure but autonomy support and structure. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(3), 588.Kahraman, N., & Sungur, S. (2011). The contribution of motivational beliefs to students' metacognitive strategy use. Egitim ve Bilim, 36(160), 3.Kanfer, R., & Ackerman, P. L. (1989). Motivation and cognitive abilities: An integrative/aptitude-treatment interaction approach to skill acquisition. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74(4), 657.Kıran, D., & Sungur, S. (2012). Middle school students’ science self-efficacy and its sources: Examination of gender difference. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 21(5), 619-630.Kitchner, K. S. (1983). Cognition, metacognition, and epistemic cognition. Human Development, 26(4), 222-232.Muil, W., Hussin, Z., Mamat, W. H. W., Mohamed, M. F., & Zailani, M. A. (2013). The relationship between epistemological beliefs and metacognitive thinking of gifted and non-gifted students. Journal of American Science, 9(10), 313-319.Özkan, Ş. (2008). Modeling elementary students’ science achievement: the interrelationships among epistemological beliefs, learning approaches, and self-regulated learning strategies. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Middle East Technical University, Ankara.Pajares, F. (2002). Gender and perceived self-efficacy in self-regulated learning. Theory into Practice, 41(2), 116-125.Pajares, F., & Schunk, D. (2001). The development of academic self-efficacy. Development of achievement motivation. United States, 7.Patrick, H., Gentry, M., & Owen, S. V. (2006). Motivation and gifted adolescents. The handbook of secondary gifted education, 165-195.Pintrich, P. R., Smith, D., Garcia, T., & McKeachie, W. J. (1991). A manual for the use of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (Technical Report 91-B-004). The Regents of the University of Michigan.Ryan, M. P. (1984). Monitoring text comprehension: Individual differences in epistemological standards. Journal of Educational Psychology, 76(2), 248.Schommer, M. A. (1990). Effects of beliefs about the nature of knowledge on comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82(3), 498-504.Schommer, M. A. (1994). Synthesising epistemological belief research: tentative understanding and provocative confusions. Educational Psychology Review, 6(4), 293- 319.Schommer, M., & Dunnell, P. (1994). A comparison of epistemological beliefs between gifted and non-gifted high school students. Roeper Review,16(3), 207 – 2010.Schommer, M., & Dunnell, P. (1997). Epistemological beliefs of gifted high school students. Roeper Review,19(3), 153 - 156.Schommer, M., & Neber H. (2002). Self-regulated science learning with highly gifted students: the role of cognitive, motivational, epistemological, and environmental variables. High Ability Studies, 13(16), 59- 74.Sungur, S. (2004). An implementation of problem-based learning in high school biology courses. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Middle East Technical University, Ankara.Sungur, S., & Kahraman, N. (2011). The contribution of motivational beliefs to students' metacognitive strategy use. Egitim ve Bilim, 36(160), 3.Trna, J. (2014). IBSE and Gifted Students. Science Education International, 25(1), 19-28.Tüysüz, C., Karakuyu, Y., & Bilgin, İ. (2008). Öğretmen Adaylarının Üst Biliş Düzeylerinin Bilişlerinin Belirlenmesi. Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 17(2), 147-158.Uçar, F. M., & Sungur, S. (2017). The role of perceived classroom goal structures, self-efficacy, and engagement in student science achievement. Research in Science & Technological Education, 35(2), 149-168.Vlahovic & Stetic, V., Vidovic, V. V., & Arambasic, L. (1999). Motivational Characteristics in Mathematical Achievement: a study of gifted high-achieving, gifted underachieving and non-gifted pupils. High Ability Studies, 10(1), 37-49.