Exploiting Metacognitive Networks Embedded in Narrative Focus Group Interviews Using NodeXL

Abstract

Development of metacognitive theory for changing pedagogy remains an essential research activity. A lack of sufficient clear-cut qualitative analysis procedures extracting embedded metacognitive constructs from qualitative data (e.g., narrative focus group interviews) can hinder development of theory. An approach is therefore needed to analyse qualitative metacognitive data exploiting embedded metacognitive constructs for theory development. In an undergraduate fourth-year mathematics education module, two groups of students (Group A: n = 6; Group B: n = 5) participated in a series of focus group interviews. Participants designed and refined mathematics lessons about the concept of place value. We identified metacognitive networks as an embedded construct in students’ metacognitive processes. Findings indicate that metacognitive networks of an individual, social and socially shared metacognitive nature are embedded in qualitative data, and can be exploited to develop new metacognitive theory. We offer a novel three-step process in this methodology paper to extract metacognitive networks using Microsoft Office, ATLAS.ti and NodeXL.

Different Characteristics of Social Networks for COVID-19 in Europe

“…NodeXL is a visualization software program that supports social networks and content analysis. NodeXL has been widely utilized to understand social network systems in academic fields (see, for example, Jagals and Van der Walt, 2016). This study employs the in-degree centrality to capture public key players for Twitter users (the explanation for in-degree centrality follows).…”

Education and New Developments 2023 – Volume 1

“…The idea of the design sessions was borrowed from the work of Cobb, Jackson, Smith, Sorum and Henrick (2013) and added validity and trustworthiness to the data as these sessions resembled multiple perspectives. The sessions' transcriptions were analysed by following a three-step set of data analysis procedures offered by Van der Walt (2016b), andJagals (2015). In doing so we coded the transcribed conversations of each design session in Atlas.ti, followed by the exporting of the coded data and preparation of the nodes and vertices' columns in Excel.…”

“…First, qualitative social network analysis were conducted to determine the nature of the social relationships between participants in the two groups. Second, the transcriptions were coded through in analysis based on a-priori coding for metacognitive networks by Jagals and Van der Walt (2016b). Third, through NodeXL's (a social network analysis add-on for Microsoft Excel) data were filtered to identify interpersonal and social metacognitive language statements (e.g.…”

The Nature of Metacognitive Language and Networking: Development of the Theory of Metacognitive Locale

“…The idea of the design sessions was borrowed from the work of Cobb, Jackson, Smith, Sorum and Henrick (2013) and added validity and trustworthiness to the data as these sessions resembled multiple perspectives. The sessions' transcriptions were analysed by following a three-step set of data analysis procedures offered by Jagals andVan der Walt (2016b), andJagals (2015). In doing so we coded the transcribed conversations of each design session in Atlas.ti, followed by the exporting of the coded data and preparation of the nodes and vertices' columns in Excel.…”