METACOGNITIVE ABILITIES’ ORGANIZATION AT STUDENTS

Abstract

Present investigation is aimed on studying the student’s metacognitive abilities peculiarities depending on their professional education direction. The research is realized on a student’s sample of natural (Biology), philological (Foreign Languages) and mathematical (Mathematics) directions of learning. The following methods were used in the work: verbal-colour interference test (J. R. Stroop); motor test (J. Schwarzlander); third subtest of WAIS test; Thinking Styles Inventory (R. Sternberg); The Matching Familiar Figures Test (J. Kagan); Study of subjective control’s level (E. F. Bazhin, E. A. Golynkina, L. M. Etkind); «Analytical Review of Learning Style» (Rebecca L. Oxford). To determine the structure of metacognitive abilities, the method of factor analysis (Varimax raw) was carried out. As a result of factorization four factors were identified: metacognitive monitoring; personal control; self-organization of activity; activity programming. Each of the factors can be represented as a separate component of metacognitive abilities. The revealed structure corresponds to the concepts of J.H. Flavell, C.D Fritht, S.G. Paris and P. Winograd. Component “Metacognitive monitoring” is subject-nonspecific, it means that metacognitive knowledge does not depend on the field of professional education. Components “Self-Organization of Activity”, “Activity programming” and “Personal Control” have differences depending on the direction of student learning. Biology students (natural science) have a high level of “Self-organization of Activity” component. Students of the Faculty of Foreign Languages (philological direction) are characterized by the predominant development of the components “Self-organization of Activity” and “Activity programming”. Students of mathematics (mathematical direction) are distinguished by the developed components «Personality control» and «Activity programming». Subject-specific or subject-nonspecific nature of the components in the metacognitive abilities’ structure is summarised in conclusions.