PARENT SESSION
Symposium 6: Pathways to scientific teaching in ecology education
Organized by: C D'Avanzo and M Mappin
Tuesday, August 9, 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM, Meeting Room 517 C, Level 5, Palais des congrès de Montréal
Metacognition and ecology teaching.
Wenk, Laura*,1, D'Avanzo, Charlene1, 1 Hampshire College, Amherst, MA
ABSTRACT- Some of the most promising changes in science teaching are fueled by the application of research on learning to the craft of teaching. Major recommendations include an emphasis on teaching metacognitive processes. That means explicitly teaching the thinking strategies necessary for success. A metacognitive approach to teaching and learning might prove to be particularly important in ecology - a field that requires complex systems thinking, and that also attracts students with diverse sets of experiences and varied science backgrounds. This presentation: a) gives a brief evidence-driven rationale for such an approach, b) identifies some of the metacognitive strategies used by ecologists, and c) focuses on the metacognitive strategies needed to interpret graphical data as a specific example. We end with some implications for teaching and questions for research.
Key words: ecology teaching, learning theory, metacognition