The Effect of Brain-Based Learning on Students’ Metacognitive Awareness

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine effects of Brain-Based Learning (BBL) method on seventh grade students' metacognitive awareness. Concurrent nested mixed method was used in the study. Thirty 7th grade students (21 girls, nine boys) participated in this study voluntarily. The unit of “Structure and Properties of Matter” was taught using the BBL method for six weeks. Students' Notebooks, Strategy Evaluation Matrix and Regulatory Checklist, were used for qualitative data. Metacognition Scale was applied as a pre-posttest for quantitative data. According to the results, while there was no significant difference between the Metacognition Scale pre-test and post-test results, a significant difference was observed in Conditional Knowledge, which is the Knowledge of Cognition sub-dimension of the scale. The findings obtained from the Strategy Assessment Matrix show that the students use high-level strategies (Affective Strategy) and techniques (Attention Concentration), so the Brain-Based Learning approach increases students' metacognitive awareness. When the expressions in the Regulatory Checklist were examined, it was seen that as the process progressed, the awareness of the students increased and the strategies they used worked.