Text Structure Instruction and Metacognition: Supporting Early Childhood Student Teachers in their Academic Work.

Abstract

This article reports on findings of two studies in which text structure instruction was provided for student teachers specialising in early childhood education. Participants learned to identify text structure and were guided over an academic semester in using that skill to deliberately frame their university studies. A replication study (Study 2) extended an investigation carried out the previous year for the doctoral thesis of the first author (Study 1). Findings of Study 2 confirm those reported earlier. Learning to identify the organisational structure of text and using that knowledge strategically enhances learners’ metacognition, motivation, and self-confidence.