COGNITIVE AND METACOGNITIVE PREDICTORS OF MATHEMATICS STRATEGY USE

The purpose of the present study was to compare the impact of second graders' metacognitive knowledge of mathematics strategies as measured in April and prior strategy use as measured in April on children's use of retrieval, min and decomposition mathematics strategies in June. After 71 second graders had solved 40 addition and subtraction problems with sums between 1 and 58, strategy use was determined through observation and through verbal report. Strategy specific metacognitive knowledge was assessed by questioning children about their strategy use. Both prevalence and correct use of the decomposition strategy increased between April and June whereas only prevalence of retrieval but not correct use of retrieval increased between April and Tune. Min strategy use decreased across the time period. Correlational analyses indicated that metacognition was related to emerging decomposition strategy use but not retrieval or the use of the min strategy. Only correct prior strategy use predicted June min strategy use and retrieval. It was concluded that metacognition comes into play in strategy use when a strategy is both effortful and in the process of being acquired, as was the case for the decomposition strategy, but was not influential for highly automated, less effortful strategies.