Can Metacognition affect Team-Based Learning?

Roberts and his colleagues (2014) conducted research to examine whether PACT as a metacognitive strategy, moderates the relationship between the essays produced and the recall of the content learned. The PACT (Promoting Acceleration of Comprehension and Content through Text) is a team-based group reflection model. To examine this assumption, the authors performed an experimental design in which eighth grade students were divided into two independent groups. Each team was composed of 4 students.
The experimental group received instruction in 5 metacognitive tasks for 2 years, including the verification of group reading comprehension and the application of knowledge with team-based learning. These components were designed to increase collaboration and group discussions for the preparation of information. The following pre and post tests were administered to both groups: 1) the Gates-MacGinite Reading comprehension subttest, 2) the Assessment of Social Studies Knowledge and 3) the Motivated Strateies for Learning Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using a moderation analysis, and the regression coefficients of the post-tests were compared across the two groups. In this investigation it was found that the PACT treatment moderated the relationship between the elaboration of the metacognitive trials and the knowledge of the content. This research is relevant to this Series given that it presents us how models based on effective teams and group reflective processes can increase the retention of knowledge in teams, freeing the burden of responsibility of the instructor.

Sources and further readings:

Roberts, G., Scammacca, N., Osman, D. J., Hall, C., Mohammed, S. S., & Vaughn, S. (2014). Team-based learning: moderating effects of metacognitive elaborative rehearsal and middle school history content recall. Educational Psychology Review,  26(3), 451-468.