Metacognition in writing instruction

Abstract

Students with language-based learning disabilities (LBLD) present with language problems that impact every aspect of learning and communication in a time when people are reading and writing more than any other time in history. Secondary educators in today's public schools face the challenge of incorporating practices that build metacognitive awareness and literacy in students with LBLD so they can become effective writers and communicators. There is a shortage of research that seeks to understand the impact of teaching writing through metacognition and self-regulation to students with LBLD in public high schools. In better understanding the experience of high school teachers working within Language-Based Learning (LBL) programs, Massachusetts public schools can more effectively acknowledge and therefore address the needs of students with LBLD. Utilizing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis methodology through the theoretical lens of Borkowski's process-oriented model of metacognition (2000), this study provided insight into how teachers make sense of their experience in educating LBLD students with regard to building metacognition and self-regulation to access the writing process. Data analysis of interview transcripts revealed four emergent themes including Student Perception, Building Metacognition through Explicit Instruction, Language-Based Instructional Methodologies, and Essential Components of LBL Classrooms. Evident in the study is the inconsistency of access to LBL programs across Massachusetts public schools. Implications for future study include understanding the effects of strategy instruction and writing practices among high school students with LBLD. Recommendations for practice include implementing consistent strategies across all content areas, more cohesive training to raise awareness of the needs of students with LBLD, and greater outreach for school systems to understand both diagnostic criteria and how to address the needs of students with LBLD to improve literacy.