Developing Metacognitive Awareness in Primary Science Teachers: A Blended Approach to Professional Development

This paper reports on a semi-longitudinal study investigating the development of metacognitive awareness in undergraduate student teachers [pre-service teachers] in a university setting through explicit instruction and guided practice in their science workshops. Using a blended pedagogical approach combining direct instruction with scaffolded enquiry, the research examines how a Year 1 cohort of 131 student teachers developed metacognitive knowledge and self-regulation skills across two semesters. Findings suggest that explicit modelling of metacognitive strategies, combined with reflective practice and structured feedback, meaningfully enhances student teachers' awareness of their own learning processes and prepares them to model these strategies in their future science teaching. The study addresses a critical gap in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs, where student teachers often commence their training without robust understanding of metacognitive strategies despite their proven impact on student achievement. Keywords: metacognition, pre-service teachers, student teachers, science teaching, initial teacher education, self-regulation, reflective practice