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Metacognition Learning (2009) 4:6385
DOI 10.1007/s11409-008-9033-1
David Whitebread & Penny Coltman &Deborah Pino Pasternak & Claire Sangster & Valeska Grau & Sue Bingham & Qais Almeqdad & Demetra Demetriou
Received: 3 May 2008 /Accepted: 20 October 2008 /
Published online: 28 November 2008# Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2008
Abstract This paper reports on observational approaches developed within a UK study to the identification and assessment of metacognition and self-regulation in young children in the 35 year age range. It is argued that the development of observational tools, although containing methodological difficulties, allows us to make more valid assessments of childrens metacognitive and self-regulatory abilities in this age group. The analysis of 582 metacognitive or self-regulatory videotaped events is described, including the development of a coding framework identifying verbal and non-verbal indicators. The construction of an observational instrument, the Childrens Independent Learning Development (CHILD 35) checklist, is also reported together with evidence of the reliability with which it can be used by classroom teachers and early indications of its external validity as a measure of metacognition and self-regulation in young children. Given the educational significance of childrens development of metacognitive and self-regulatory skills, it is argued that the development of such an instrument is potentially highly beneficial. The establishment of the metacognitive and self-regulatory capabilities of young children by means of the kinds of observational tools developed within this study also has clear and significant implications for models and theories of metacognition and self-regulation. The paper concludes with a discussion of these implications.
Keywords Metacognitive development . Self-regulated learning . Observational methods . Young children
This paper argues for the efficacy of using observational methods in naturalistic settings in the identification and assessment of metacognition and self-regulation in young children.
D. Whitebread (*) : P. Coltman : C. Sangster : V. Grau : S. Bingham : Q. Almeqdad : D. Demetriou Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, 184 Hills Rd, Cambridge CB2 8PQ, UKe-mail: [email protected]
D. P. Pasternak
Institute of Education, University of London, England, UK
The development of two observational tools for assessing metacognition and self-regulated learningin young children
64 D. Whitebread et al.
This is argued on two grounds. First, at the level of research and theory, it is argued that...