CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS
4.4. AT RISK STUDENTS' LEARNING STYLES
4.4.3. CHANGES IN LEARNING STYLES: PREFERENCES RECEIVING INFORMATION (ABSTRACTNESS OVER CONCRETENESS) AND PROCESSING INFORMATION
4.4.4.1 USE OF SELF-REGULATING LEARNING STRATEGIES
METACOGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE: IN A WRITING TASK.
The students were asked to respond to this question in the SLS (see item 2 and
Your lecturer informs you that you must write a short essay on a topic selected from your course Consumer Behaviour 1. This essay will be marked and these marks will contribute to your course mark. List the steps (actbns) you would use to help you plan and write your essay?
The SLS was administered twice once in April (2001) and again in September (2001). Each student's response is firstly reported, then the data is analysed and presented in Appendix A. 3.
The instruction in academic writing (a section of the AL course in 2001) focused on:
planning (audience awareness and purpose);
organisation (paragraphing and coherent structuring);
structure (introduction; main body and conclusion);
use of appropriate linking devices;
referencing;
drafting and editing essays and assignments;
achieving accuracy in spelling and punctuation; and
the development of a logical argument that leads on to relevant conclusions.
Examples of key descriptive words in the students' responses that would indicate level of metacognitive knowledge in a writing task are:, 'planning', 'structure', 'introduction - main body - conclusion', 'referencing', 'draft, 'revise', 'edit', 'coherence', 'logical argument'.
Table 4.8 below is a summary analysis and a judgment on the 'at risk' students' level of metacognitive knowledge in a writing task in April 2001 and a judgment on any changes to that level of metacognitive knowledge in September 2001. All the students show evidence of not being in control of the academic writing task (underdeveloped CALP). However what seems to distinguish 'at risk' HA students from LA students seems to be related to competency in the English language. A number of LA students seem to struggle to express themselves using the English language (low level of BICS). On the other hand HA students seem to be more competent users of the English language. This does suggest again that 'at risk' students have not made the required shift into the CALP quadrant (Cummins's model Figure 4.2 below).
TABLE 4.8 SUMMARY ANALYSIS: USE OF SELF-REGULATING LEARNING STRATEGIES. METACOGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE: IN A WRITING TASK
LEVEL OF METACOGNITIV HA1
HA2 HA3 HA4 HA5 LA1 LA2 LA3 LA4 LA5
E KNOWLEDGE:
APRIL 2001 Fair
Weak Weak Very weak
Fair Weak Fairly good Weak Weak Weak
CHANGES
SEPTEMBER 2001 Uses draft
Asks lecturer None
None None
'Do it in rugh' Draft
None None None
Context Embedded
Cognitively Undemanding 1
Cognitively Demanding
Context Reduced
FIGURE 4.2: CUMMINS'S MODEL
The Academic Literacy course had the objective of facilitating (see also section 2.3 above) the shift from quadrant 1 (BICS) to quadrant 2 (CALP). The data in Table 4.8 above shows this shift has not been achieved in a writing task. It can be argued that these students need more opportunities to practice coherently communicating
their understanding in contexts typical in higher education (quadrant 2). The academic essay or writing up a Business Plan are examples of cognitively - demanding and context -reduced tasks, that is CALP. As was argued above 'at risk' students are learning using English as an additional language and may have the added difficulty of coping both with CALP related tasks and proficiency in the English language (BICS).
4.4.4.2 USE OF SELF-REGULATING LEARNING STRATEGIES. META-COGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE: PREPARING FOR A SHORT TUTORIAL TEST.
The students were asked to respond to this question in the SLS (see item 1 and 1.1, Appendix A):
Your lecturer informs you that you are going to have a short tutorial type test on a section of your course Consumer Behaviour 1, for example on one of the chapters in your text book. List the steps (actions) you would use to help you remember the section for this test?
The SLS was administered once in April (2001) and again in September (2001).
Each student's response is recorded and then analysed following similar procedures (see Appendix A.4) The purpose of the analysis is to examine the 'at risk' student's level of metacognitive knowledge when preparing for a short
tutorial test and to make a judgement on whether the strategies are likely to help the student to learn and remember.
Table 4.9 below is a summary analysis of 'at risk' students' use of self-regulating learning strategies when preparing for a short tutorial test. The Table answers the question whether in the researcher's judgment 1) the strategies used by the
student are likely to encourage remembering (Yes or No) and 2) significant changes were made in strategies in September 2001. Most of the students show evidence of control, however there is no evidence of significant changes in metacognition.
TABLE 4.9: SUMMARY ANALYSIS: USE OF SELF-REGULATING LEARNING STRATEGIES. METACOGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE: PREPARING FOR A SHORT TUTORIAL TEST
HA1 HA2 HA3 HA4 HA5 LA1 LA2 LA3 LA4 LA5
ENCOURAGES REMEMBERING
Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes
CHANGES IN SEPTEMBER 2001
None None Uses study group
None None
Summarise, re-write again None
None None None
4.4,4.3 USE OF SELF-REGULATING LEARNING STRATEGIES.
METACOGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE: PREPARING FOR AN END OF TERM TEST.
The students were asked to respond to this question in the SLS (see item 5 and 5.1, Appendix A):
Your lecturer will have end of term tests planned in your course Consumer Behaviour 1. This work will contribute to your Course Mark. List the steps (actions) you will use for preparing for these tests?
The SLS was administered twice, once in April (2001) and again in September (2001). Each student's response is recorded then qualitatively analysed (see Appendix A.5) and this data is summarised in Table 4.10. The purpose of the analysis is to make a judgement on whether the 'at risk' student uses metacognitive strategies that are likely to enhance learning for an end of term test.
Table 4.10 below is a summary analysis of 'at risk' students' use of self-regulating learning strategies when preparing for an end of term test. The Table answers the question whether in the researcher's judgment 1) the strategies used enhance deep learning and promote understanding and 2) there are significant changes made in strategies in September 2001 and what they are. The data seem to
suggest that most 'at risk' students are in control of tests, however there is no
TABLE 4.10: SUMMARY ANALYSIS: USE OF SELF-REGULATING STRATEGIES.
METACOGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE: PREPARING FOR AN END OF TERM TEST
HA1 HA2 HA3 HA4 HA5 LA1 LA2 LA3 LA4 LA5
ENHANCES LEARNING (APRIL 2001)
Yes No Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes No
CHANGES IN SEPTEMBER 2001 Yes - 'reduce fun actions and study' Yes - 'start learning early
'Use past test papers'.
Yes - 'go to the library and study', 'ask questions, 'use lecture notes' Yes - 'collecting information as early as I can'.
Yes - 'stop seeing friend'.
None None None None
Yes - 'study the notes, the book and the library books'