Methodological Difficulties of Assessing Metacognition: A New Approach.

This paper discusses methodological difficulties in studying metacognition and proposes a new multi-method technique for assessing student metacognitive behavior. The major aim of the study was to develop and apply a strategy for assessing metacognition within the context of mathematical problem solving. Data were collected from 30 year-6 students in Australia. Students were involved in three clinical interviews each in which they followed the same procedure with different types of mathematical tasks. The multi-method approach included observation, the clinical interview, and video and audio recordings. The interviews incorporated self-reporting and, in some cases, the think-aloud technique. Specially designed metacognitive and cognitive action cards were used to stimulate student responses about their thinking. Findings raise doubts about using students'"out of context" verbal reports as data without corroborating evidence. The findings also call into question the validity of questionnaires or interviews when used in isolation. Results also demonstrate the difficulty students have in identifying their general use of metacognitive behavior. The multi-method approach used in this study responded to issues of concern about verbal data and provided students with opportunities to identify, check, and discuss their thinking. (Contains 37 references.) (SLD)