Uncovering students’ thinking about thinking using concept maps

Abstract

A method for uncovering students' thinking about thinking, specifically their meta-strategic knowledge, is explored within the context of an ongoing, multi-year intervention designed to promote the development of students' thinking dispositions. The development of a concept-map instrument that classroom teachers can use and an analytic framework for interpreting students' responses is presented. In a preliminary study, the concept map instrument is piloted to evaluate changes in students' conceptions of thinking after a year's participation in classrooms where their teachers actively sought to make thinking more visible by noticing and naming the thinking observed as well as introducing and using thinking routines (Ritchhart and Perkins. Educational Leadership, 65(5), 57-61 2008). Concept maps from 239 students from grades 3 through 11 were analyzed. Results suggest that students' conceptions of thinking do improve with age but also can be substantially developed through a classroom culture where thinking is modeled and rich opportunities for thinking are present. The concept map instrument itself proved to be a robust instrument for uncovering students' thinking about thinking.Keywords Metacognitive assessment . Program evaluation . Concept maps . Metacognitive development . Thinking dispositions . Meta-strategic knowledgeIn the Cultures of Thinking Project, we seek to develop students' dispositions toward thinking by working with teachers to create classrooms where thinking is valued, visible, and actively promoted as part of the regular, day-to-day experience of all students. Because we believe that thinking dispositions are not so much learned as they are enculturated over time, our project focuses on helping teachers to understand the culture of their classrooms Metacognition

Learning from learning logs: A case study of metacognition in the primary school classroom

“…In exploring the potential reasons for pupils’ superficial metacognitive responses in the STAs investigated, it is pertinent to consider the interaction between response and pedagogy. Indeed, we found that both pupils provided relatively ‘superficial’ reflections of their own thinking and learning, a finding that parallels previous research using concept maps to explore the increasing ‘sophistication’ of pupils’ metacognitive reflections as they progress from primary to secondary school (Ritchhart et al ., ). Our finding of the relatively superficial responses provided by Primary 4 pupils in the current study is also indicative of reflections of relatively ‘surface’ rather than ‘deep’ learning, a focus on quality of learning (Biggs & Collis, ; Dart et al ., ), suggesting that this distinction can also be made in the metacognitive domain.…”

“…For example, classroom-based observational tools have identified indictors of metacognitive knowledge and regulation from the ages of 3 to 4 years old (Whitebread et al, 2009;Robson, 2016a,b). In addition, visual tools have been developed that elicit children's understanding of their own thinking and learning through concept maps (Ritchhart et al, 2009) and pupil views templates (PVTs; see Wall, 2008;Wall et al, 2012). In PVTs, a cartoon scenario is presented, with empty thought and speech bubbles for pupils to document their thinking in a given situation (Wall & Higgins, 2006;Wall et al, 2012).…”

Documenting critical thinking in a capstone course: moving students toward a professional disposition

“…Moreover, due to the complexity of defining and measuring critical thinking, qualitative research can add additional nuances to the construct in an effort to operationalize critical thinking. Similarly, Ritchhart, Turner, and Hadar (2009) and Mathews and Lowe (2011) advocated for professional development to better understand the culture of thinking in classrooms and critical thinking dispositions. The end result involves instructors and students having overt conversations about their thinking and acknowledging when thinking is more inquisitive and active.…”

The effects of scientific representations on primary students’ development of scientific discourse and conceptual understandings during cooperative contemporary inquiry-science

“…Concept mapping is used widely in grades K-12 to help students to organise their thoughts and represent them visually. It is also an instrument that can be used to uncover students' metacognitive thinking (Ritchhart, Turner, & Hadar, 2009). In a meta-analysis of 55 experimental and quasiexperimental studies in which students learned by constructing, modifying or viewing node-linked diagrams, Nesbit and Adesope (2006) found that the use of concept maps was associated with increased knowledge retention and this result applied across all educational levels (grades 4-8 and postsecondary), subject areas and settings.…”