Metacognitive teaching and learner engagement in a disadvantaged province in China: Results from comparing traditional and technology-enhanced classrooms

Metacognitive teaching strategies (MTSs) refer to overall teaching methods that teachers encourage students to reflect on solving problems. Compared to traditional teaching, metacognitive teaching is expected to enhance students’ metacognition. Assuming MTSs may be more common in technology-enhanced classrooms than traditional teacher-led classrooms, the researchers explored metacognitive teaching of teachers with training on teaching English learners to learn with multimedia hand-held devices with a proprietary program in four different primary schools in a disadvantaged province in China. Four sample classrooms were selected on two criteria: location (urban vs rural) and teaching quality (high vs low) based on the rating results by two trained observers first using TEACH, a classroom observation instrument, and then an in-depth verbatim analysis with an assessment designed to identify and measure MTSs. Teacher-student interactions at the classroom level were also coded to detail the relationship between student engagement and metacognitive teaching. Unexpectedly, technology-enhanced classrooms were found not necessarily rich in metacognitive teaching. Instead, results showed that 1) metacognitive teaching existed more differences within rather than between locations; 2) teachers with better teaching quality performed better in metacognitive teaching and student engagement, regardless of technology applications; and 3) pedagogically weak classrooms showed either fewer MTSs or MTSs that did not match students’ learning ability. This paper put forward measures for enhancing metacognitive teaching and student engagement in disadvantaged regions in China, and suggested improvements on technology-enhanced pedagogy. Copyright © 2021 International Conference on Learning and Teaching.