“Away from the Textbook,” Metacognitive Strategies in Mathematics: A Qualitative Study on Saudi Students’ Motivation to Learn Mathematics

Khalid S. Alzahrani

doi:10.29333/ejmste/11507

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Khalid S. Alzahrani ¹ ^*

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¹ Imam Abdulrahman bin Feisal University, Dammam, SAUDI ARABIA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study explores Saudi students’ perceptions of their motivation to learn Mathematics using metacognitive strategies. Data were collected using a qualitative case study design among 13 Saudi secondary school students. The findings from the data collected through semi-structured interviews show that several motives encourage the participants to learn metacognitively. For instance, the findings demonstrate that the desire to experiment with a new concept helped to capture the interest of the learners and stimulate their curiosity to learn. Likewise, the desire to improve methods of thought which can meet the personal needs and goals of the learner may foster a positive attitude in learners and therefore contribute to their motivation. In addition, it is argued that students’ confidence in their skills may help them feel they can successfully control their learning. Finally, it was shown that the desire of students to improve their thinking strategies in their lives reinforced their achievements with internal rewards and therefore helped them to be satisfied with their learning.

Keywords

metacognition
motivation
mathematics
IMPROVE program
cognitive skills

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 18, Issue 1, January 2022, Article No: em2070

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11507

Publication date: 09 Jan 2022

Article Views: 2215

Article Downloads: 1458

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Disclosure

Declaration of Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest is declared by author(s).

Data sharing statement: Data supporting the findings and conclusions are available upon request from the corresponding author(s).

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How to cite this article

APA

Alzahrani, K. S. (2022). “Away from the Textbook,” Metacognitive Strategies in Mathematics: A Qualitative Study on Saudi Students’ Motivation to Learn Mathematics. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 18(1), em2070. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11507

Vancouver

Alzahrani KS. “Away from the Textbook,” Metacognitive Strategies in Mathematics: A Qualitative Study on Saudi Students’ Motivation to Learn Mathematics. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2022;18(1):em2070. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11507

AMA

Alzahrani KS. “Away from the Textbook,” Metacognitive Strategies in Mathematics: A Qualitative Study on Saudi Students’ Motivation to Learn Mathematics. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2022;18(1), em2070. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11507

Chicago

Alzahrani, Khalid S.. "“Away from the Textbook,” Metacognitive Strategies in Mathematics: A Qualitative Study on Saudi Students’ Motivation to Learn Mathematics". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2022 18 no. 1 (2022): em2070. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11507

Harvard

Alzahrani, K. S. (2022). “Away from the Textbook,” Metacognitive Strategies in Mathematics: A Qualitative Study on Saudi Students’ Motivation to Learn Mathematics. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 18(1), em2070. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11507

MLA

Alzahrani, Khalid S. "“Away from the Textbook,” Metacognitive Strategies in Mathematics: A Qualitative Study on Saudi Students’ Motivation to Learn Mathematics". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 18, no. 1, 2022, em2070. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11507