CULTURAL CONTROL ON METACOGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE IN SCIENCE AT ELEMENTARY LEVEL

Deeper understanding of any subject in general and science in particular is controlled and coordinated by some affective and reflective processes which are even beyond simple cognitive operations. The present study makes an attempt to analyze the influence of culture on metacognition. For this purpose the sample in this study are having ethnic variation i.e. one group of the sample student is from tribal community where as the other one from non tribal community. Further for the better understanding and assessment in the present study the metacognitive knowledge is divided in to three categories such as declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, conditional /strategic knowledge. The present study is an exploratory study conducted in a mixed method (QUAN-QUAL) design. One hundred seventeen learners who have completed class VIII were purposively selected. Out of two objectives of the research study first objective was investigated through quantitative approach. For the exploration of second objective qualitative approach was followed. This included in-depth analysis of the observation and results of the tasks or questions assigned to the learners in the investigation of first objective. Statistical analysis of data revealed a significant quantitative difference in the score of metacognitive knowledge of tribal and non tribal learners in science. The qualitative analysis of the answers provided a more comprehensive understanding of tribal and nontribal learners' understanding of science as well as their knowledge about their own cognitive abilities which are due to the interplay of ethnic culture and metacognition.