The Effects of Reflection on Seventh Grade Social Studies Student Learning and Perception

Educators manage student readiness for learning by applying models of instruction. The most common model used, however, is imprecise about cognitive operations. One way educators address this issue is with reflection, but reflection means many different things. An approach for narrowing reflection is to focus on metacognition. Literature has shown that educators structure metacognition with different kinds of prompts. This study examined the effects of open and closed prompts on the learning and perception of seventh grade students in social studies. Characteristics of prompts that affected performance on a content-specific test include 1) referencing criteria for judging performance, 2) using procedures for self-monitoring, 3) directing students towards error detection and correction, 4) encouraging continuous adjustment, 5) elaborating on information and connecting ideas, and 6) repeating use of prompts. Results also showed that open prompts provide an additional benefit in terms of expressing thoughts and ideas.