GEOMETRICAL PROBLEM-SOLVING PERFORMANCE OF PRESERVICE TEACHERS: EXPLORING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF METACOGNITIVE STRATEGIES

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of instruction based on metacognitive strategies on geometrical problem-solving performance of mathematics preservice teachers. Geometrical problem-solving tests developed by the researchers were applied as pre-test and post-test before and after the experimental instruction. Preservice teachers predicted the number of correct questions they would solve, and the difference between predicted scores and geometrical problem-solving test scores were assessed as their metacognitive skills. Training implementation was carried out in four sessions, and finally, metacognitive knowledge test was applied. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used for collecting and analyzing the data. The sample consisted of forty-one senior elementary school mathematics preservice teachers of a public university in Turkey. Results indicated that metacognitive instruction increased the preservice teachers’ geometrical problem-solving performance. A moderate-level correlation was detected between preservice teachers’ geometrical problem- solving performance and metacognitive skills. Besides, metacognitive strategies instruction improved the awareness level of the preservice teachers about their ways of learning. Implications for method and practice were further described.