‘Prospecting for metacognition’ in a science museum: A metaphor reflecting hermeneutic inquiry

January 1st, 2014 | RESEARCH

Studying metacognition brings with it many challenges. The challenge of researching metacognition is exacerbated when research, (a) moves from clinical or highly structured settings, those associated with much research in this field, to more naturalistic contexts with less structure, and (b) begins in previously unexplored settings and social contexts with little, if any, existing literature related its study within such settings. We use the metaphor of 'prospecting' to characterise a qualitative methodology that employed a hermeneutic dialectic process to explore the metacognition of parents and their children as they interacted in the naturalistic setting of a science museum. We explore and explain the dialectic hermeneutic questioning and decision making processes we employed and how the research proceeded over 4 days and 14 cases as part of our detailed methodological reflection. Our aim is to inform future research in metacognition, or other under-researched learning phenomenon, using interpretive methods in such settings, and to provide examples of the decisions and thinking that shaped our study's progress.

Document

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Team Members

David Anderson, Author, University of British Columbia
Gregory Thomas, Author, The University of Alberta

Citation

Identifier Type: ISSN
Identifier: 0313-7155

Publication: Issues in Educational Research
Volume: 24
Number: 1
Page(s): 1

Related URLs

EBSCO Full Text

Tags

Audience: General Public | Museum | ISE Professionals | Scientists
Discipline: Education and learning science | General STEM
Resource Type: Peer-reviewed article | Research Products
Environment Type: Exhibitions | Museum and Science Center Exhibits | Museum and Science Center Programs | Public Programs