Effects of metacognitive instructional strategies in secondary career and technical education courses

Abstract

A randomized, posttest-only control group experimental design was used to determine the effects of think-aloud pair problem solving (TAPPS) on the troubleshooting performance of secondary-level career and technical education students. Students who participated in the TAPPS group were randomly assigned a listening partner and orally verbalized their thought process while troubleshooting a small gas engine. Results were not statistically different between the experimental and control groups (p = .39). Thirty-eight percent of students in the control group were successful at identifying the engine fault and the correct engine system affected and correctly described how to repair it in order for the engine to operate. Twenty-five percent of students in the TAPPS group were successful at the same tasks. Among students who were successful, there were no significant differences in completion time between treatment groups. Further research should be conducted to identify and describe key differences in oral verbalization between troubleshooters who are successful and those who are not. Introduction/Theoretical Framework Solely hands-on career and technical education (CTE) is no longer sufficient because performing repetitive technical skills is not an option for employees (Johnson, 1991). Emphasis is now being placed on skills such as creative thinking, problem solving, and decision making (Maclean & Ordonez, 2007). “Agriculture and science should be the vehicle