Thinking aloud: an exploration of the impact of developing teachers’ metacognitive questioning skills on metacognitive regulation in the classroom

Thesis

This practitioner research project has explored the impact of developing teachers' metacognitive questioning skills on students’ metacognitive regulation in the classroom. The research context is a Jesuit Catholic school which is also an IB World School, based in England. As such, the development of metacognitive questioning skills is set within the joint frameworks of the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm (IPP) and the International Baccalaureate’s approaches to teaching and learning (ATLs).

The literature review examined the conceptual understanding of metacognition and its relationship to self-regulation. Furthermore, the body of literature indicated a synergy between the IB’s ATLs, the Jesuit IPP and the accepted cyclical structure of metacognitive self-regulation. Finally, the literature review examined the impact of both explicit and implicit teaching of metacognition and metacognitive skills, whilst also acknowledging the central role of effective CPD in enabling such student development.

The research design involved an initial whole-staff CPD on metacognition and questioning techniques, following which teachers were invited to volunteer to trial these methodologies in their year 9 classes. Collaboration was at the heart of the research design, with a pre-existing teaching and learning group involved in selecting the initial focus, supporting the delivery of CPD, and then conducting peer observations of the teacher participants’ classes. Qualitative data was collected, including teacher self-reflection journals after lessons, peer observations, and a post-intervention semi-structured group interview.

Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, with preliminary findings suggesting that the application of metacognitive questioning was perceived, by the participating teachers, to have a positive effect on the degree of self-regulation observed in the students in their classes. However, significant caveats were placed on that positive response, with teachers noting that this was very much task specific, and that a more considered, long-term intervention would be required to draw a more robust conclusion as to any impact. Equally, an evaluation of the qualitative data gathered highlighted the limitations of eliciting findings based on observed or self-recorded teacher perceptions rather than quantified outcomes. Nevertheless, the findings also provided insight into the benefit of reflective practices by teachers and the contribution that taking part in such practitioner research can make to collective teacher efficacy. These findings have informed the next steps from this project, including the development of further whole school CPD, the intention of which is to continue to contribute to the school's stated whole school strategic aim of effective study skills development within a Jesuit framework.

Authors: Kirkby, D

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-jnwmo6y05
• Type of award: MSc taught course
• Level of award: Masters
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: LT2024; collective teacher efficacy; metacognition; LT; self-reflection journals; Ignatian pedagogy; CPD; lesson observation; qualitative research; international baccalaureate; metacognitive self-regulation; semi-structured interview; thematic analysis
• Subjects: Teaching; Analysis; Lesson planning; Qualitative research; International baccalaureate; Teachers; Critical thinking; Interviews; Metacognition; Education