Rayne A. Sperling

Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning Constructs.

Demographic variables, findings from the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (Schraw & Dennison, 1994), the Learning Strategies Survey (Kardash & Amlund, 1991), and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, & McKeachie, 1991), as well as accuracy ratings of test performance, were examined in 2 studies. Findings indicated convergence of self-report measures of metacognition, significant correlations between metacognition and academic monitoring, negative correlations between self-reported metacognition and accuracy ratings, and positive correlations between metacognition and strategy use and metacognition and motivation. Limitations of the studies and implications for theory development and future research are discussed.

The Measurement and Predictive Ability of Metacognition in Middle School Learners

ABSTRACT The authors examined relations among components of metacognition from varying theoretical perspectives, explored the psychometric characteristics of known measures of metacognition, and examined the predictive strength of measures of metacognition for both science and overall academic achievement in 97 seventh-grade students. Findings indicated expected significant correlations between 2 measures of metacognition, the Junior Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (Sperling, Howard, Miller, & Murphy, 2002) and an open-ended version of Swansons (1990) metacognition measure and a significant correlation between the Swanson measure and general science teacher ratings of students’ metacognition. Student measures demonstrated sound psychometric properties and both were significant predictors of science achievement. Additional analyses, recommendations for future research, and suggestions for practitioners and educators interested in measuring and promoting metacognition are provided.

Facilitating Learning from Technology-Enhanced Text: Effects of Prompted Elaborative Interrogation

ABSTRACT The authors examined the use of the elaborative interrogation (EI) strategy with a lengthy text in a technology-enhanced environment. As commonly found in traditional and online text materials, questions appeared in the right margins of the text. Seventy-five randomly assigned volunteers in 2 conditions read instructional materials delivered by the Internet. Dependent measures included learning outcomes of free recall, recognition, and transfer tasks. At immediate and delayed testing, differences between higher order recognition questions and number of elaboration units recalled provided support for integrating EI prompts in technology-enhanced environments. Design suggestions for development and use of Web-based instruction materials in K-16 classrooms are discussed. Future research directions that more fully investigate EI and other strategy prompts within technology-enhanced materials are provided.

Reading Attitudes and Literacy Skills in Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Children.

The current study addressed the development of reading attitudes and their relationship to reading skills. Forty-one prekindergarten and kindergarten learners in 1 of 3 cohorts were assessed 2 or 4 times during the course of a year. Findings indicated a slight decrease in reading attitudes during the kindergarten year. Expected increases in skills were generally indicated with pronounced increases in sight word recognition during the kindergarten year, after other skills had been mastered. Decreases in some skills were evident after summer recess. Other findings from the study and recommendations for future research and practice are provided.

The Role of MTurk in Education Research: Advantages, Issues, and Future Directions.

The advent of online platforms such as Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) has expanded considerably researchers’ options for collecting research data. Many researchers, however, express understandable skepticism of the viability of using platforms such as MTurk. In this article, we provide a background on the use of MTurk as a mechanism for collecting research data. We then review what is currently known about the advantages and issues associated with using MTurk and highlight important areas for future research. We conclude by discussing implications of the use of crowdsourcing platforms such as MTurk for education research.

Reading Perspective: Can It Improve Middle School Students' Comprehension of Informational Text?.

ABSTRACT In 2 experiments the authors investigated whether assigning a perspective to middle school students prior to reading a long informational text would improve their reading comprehension. Pretest–posttest control group designs were employed in both experiments, in Experiment 1 (n = 146 fifth- and sixth-grade students) and in Experiment 2 (n = 83 eighth-grade students), where a delayed measure of comprehension was also included. Findings indicated statistically significant learning gains from pre- to posttest regardless of perspective but no differential benefit for perspective assignment on overall comprehension or comprehension of perspective-relevant content. Previous research has demonstrated comprehension benefit for adults assigned a perspective before reading short narrative texts in experimental settings. This work extends reading comprehension research by testing the efficacy of perspective instantiation in 2 samples of middle school learners reading an informational text in a school setting. Findings suggest more research is necessary prior to advocating the use of perspective instantiation in classrooms.

Supporting students’ knowledge construction and self-regulation through the use of elaborative processing strategies

Abstract Theoretical and empirical support for the benefits of elaborative strategy instruction for middle level students is highlighted. Consistent with the Keys of Educating Young Adolescents, teaching elaborative strategies enhances academic achievement, engages learners, and empowers students’ future independent learning. A transactional strategy instruction approach is described and suggested for educators to employ as they teach students elaborative strategies. Several strategies known to engage students in meaningful learning, including self-explanation, elaborative interrogation, student generated drawing, and generating examples, are shared. Specific examples tied to middle level academic goals and objectives across academic domains are provided.

Necessary conditions of learning

Marton addresses learning from a phenomenological perspective. This volume compiles and synthesizes a large body of existing research. Proponents of Marton’s previous publications on the variation theory of learning will find this book a valuable resource. Individuals who are unfamiliar with these topics may benefit from a review of the source material in order to gain additional clarity into the concepts that are introduced in this text. One purpose of the book is to demonstrate how patterns of variance and invariance are fundamental to learning. For instance, the presentation of different objects (e.g., hat, cube) that are identical on a singular dimension (i.e., color) would be less effective than varying the dimension (i.e., color) on one object (i.e., hats; pp. 44–47). Therefore, Marton advocates that critical features of instructional content should be determined and then emphasized or manipulated to enhance learning. Numerous examples and evidence gathered primarily through lesson and learning studies are provided to support this theory of learning. The book also serves as resource for scholars and practitioners who are interested in, studying, implementing, or conducting research with the variation theory of learning. Aspects of the theory are presented in several chapters that target different audiences. Because the perspective shifts across chapters, it is difficult to recommend the book to a specific population. However, the content covered in individual chapters would be a useful addition to several courses offered in graduate or teacher education programs. The first two chapters introduce Marton’s theory and the difference between learning as a product and as an aim. These topics would likely be beneficial in seminars that center on studying learning theories or educational philosophy. The next three chapters discuss how to discern critical features of learning and may be best suited for student teachers or present teachers who are interested in using discernment as a framework for designing lessons or courses. The final chapters focus on how to foster an environment that provides students opportunities and tools to discern critical features. Additionally, these final chapters discuss how to evaluate instruction by conducting learning studies, which combine the lesson study process with other research designs. These topics may be valuable to individuals interested in conducting learning studies or analyzing curriculum and instruction. Each chapter is well organized with an introduction that links the chapter to previous content, followed by the description of the new topic. Numerous examples from several subjects are then provided for support and clarification. Each chapter concludes with a summary that connects to subsequent chapters. Unfortunately, the overall organization of the book presents some challenges for readers. Examples introduced in previous chapters are frequently referenced in later chapters, requiring readers to cross-reference earlier text, a problem that is compounded by the incorporation of a large number of examples. Additionally, phenomenology is introduced as the overarching framework for the current theory rather late in the book, which detracts from the book’s overall structure. Proponents of other theories of learning will likely question key assumptions of Marton’s theory before phenomenology is described. A major strength of the book is its overall emphasis on concept learning. The presentation of examples and nonexamples to assist in the identification of patterns of variance and invariance is often overlooked in learning theory courses. The book introduces and guides learners and instructors through the process of learning through contrast, generalization, and fusion. These processes would likely serve as valuable tools for instructors in many domains. Another strength is the author’s promotion of a researcherpractitioner model of education. The process of conducting lesson and learning studies is thoroughly outlined. Teachers who conduct classroom research that adhere to these guidelines would likely gain insights on how to improve their instruction. However, the sparse discussion about the generalizability of the results of these studies and the adaptability of the research method to different instructional systems detracts slightly from the value of the text’s overall emphasis on teachers as researchers. Overall, Marton’s Necessary Conditions of Learning warrants consideration by individuals interested in the study of learning from a phenomenological perspective. The book provides a comprehensive account of the author’s career as an educator and researcher and illustrates that the discernment of variation is an effective method of learning. As a result, the framework described in the book will be helpful to scholars, students, and instructors during the design, development, and evaluation of courses, programs, and curricula.

A Review of “Towards Methodologically Inclusive Research Syntheses: Expanding Possibilities”

S uri presents a compilation of her extensive work that targets methods of conducting research syntheses and details the methodologically inclusive research synthesis (MIRS) framework. The MIRS framework and the book overall serves to present a “coherent conceptualization of research synthesis methods, expressed through the identification of critical decisions and a discussion of varied options associated with individual decisions” (p. xix) that should be considered throughout the process of conducting a research synthesis. The book is accessible for individuals with various degrees of experience with research synthesis methods. Suri clearly outlines the purposes and organization of the book for the reader. Chapters are well structured with purposes presented in the introduction; tables and graphics that support and scaffold readers’ comprehension; boxes that highlight critical research considerations; and concise summaries that highlight main points and conclusions. The chapters within the book are clustered to accomplish three purposes: to demonstrate a need for the MIRS framework; explain the development process of the MIRS framework; and describe application of the MIRS framework. To illustrate a need for the MIRS framework, Suri first shares a view of the epistemological stances from which scholars approach the conduct of syntheses. Next, Suri presents and briefly summarizes various categories of research synthesis, including statistical research synthesis, systematic reviews, qualitative research synthesis, and qualitative synthesis of qualitative and quantitative research. This informative summary, similar to one presented in Suri and Clark (2009), expands on conventional views of research synthesis and serves as a convenient source of reference to both bolster and broaden readers’ knowledge of research synthesis. In the next section of the book, Suri provides a detailed description of the synthesis process and critical decisions involved in the conceptualization and creation of the MIRS framework. The thoughtful introspection of the framework’s development is informative for those who wish to learn about the study of research synthesis methods and thought processes that are involved in such work. However, this section of the book may be less compelling for those most interested in the process of conducting research syntheses. The latter half of the book focuses on delineating the MIRS framework. Each chapter targets a different challenge that needs to be addressed while undertaking a research synthesis. These foci include, among others, identifying an appropriate epistemological orientation, searching for relevant literature, and evaluating, interpreting and distilling evidence from selected studies. When describing the MIRS framework in these chapters, Suri balances prescription by providing key questions to consider at different stages of the research synthesis, while at the same time proposing an open and flexible framework that can be adapted to many research purposes, questions, methodologies, and types of data. This book is not intended to be a comprehensive guide for conducting research syntheses. Instead, Suri outlines the thought processes involved in synthesizing research, and aims to foster critical reflection among those engaged in and with research syntheses. Consequently, novices or students in research methods or related courses would likely need to seek supplemental examples of research syntheses in conjunction with this book. Regardless, this book is a valuable reference to both novice and experienced researchers. The critical thinking, decision making, and planning throughout the research process that the book and framework champion would certainly improve the quality of any research synthesis.