METACOGNITIVE SCAFFOLDING AND SELF-QUESTIONING STRATEGIES AS FACTORS IN PRE-SERVICE BASIC SCIENCE TEACHERS' DIGITAL LITERACY AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

Abstract

This study investigated metacognitive scaffolding and self-questioning strategies as factors in pre-service Basic Science teachers’ digital literacy and critical thinking skills in South-East Nigeria. The study adopted a quasi experimental pretest-posttest non-equivalent group design. The population comprised pre-service Basic Science teachers in teacher education institutions in South-East Nigeria. One hundred and sixty (160) pre-service Basic Science teachers in teacher education institutions in South-East Nigeria were used for the study. The participants were assigned to metacognitive scaffolding and self-questioning strategy groups. Data were collected using Pre Service Basic Science Teachers’ Digital Literacy Test (PBSDLT) and Pre-Service Basic Science Teachers’ Critical Thinking Test (PBSCTT). The reliability coefficients of .93 and .91 were obtained for PBSDLT and PBSCTT respectively using Kuder-Richardson 20 (KR-20). The instruments were administered as pretests and posttests, and the data obtained were analysed using means, standard deviations and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that both metacognitive scaffolding and self-questioning strategies improved pre-service Basic Science teachers’ digital literacy and critical thinking skills. However, participants exposed to metacognitive scaffolding recorded higher adjusted mean scores than those exposed to self-questioning, and the differences were statistically significant for both digital literacy and critical thinking skills. The findings further revealed that male and female pre-service teachers improved in both outcome variables, although males recorded slightly higher adjusted mean scores. However, the main effects of gender were not statistically significant. Similarly, the interaction effects of instructional strategy and gender on digital literacy and critical thinking skills were not significant. The study concluded that metacognitive scaffolding was more effective than self-questioning in enhancing pre-service Basic Science teachers’ digital literacy and critical thinking skills, while its effectiveness was generally consistent across gender. It was recommended that teacher education institutions should integrate metacognitive scaffolding into Basic Science teacher preparation programmes to strengthen prospective teachers’ digital competence and higher-order thinking skills.