Socio-Scientific Issues-Based Learning: The Effect on High School Students’ Metacognitive Skills

Abstract

Metacognitive skills are fundamental skills that students need to face challenges in the 21st century. However, previous research reported that students’ metacognitive abilities tend to be low. This study seeks to explore how socio-scientific issues-based learning (SSIBL) impacts the metacognitive abilities of 11th-grade students. Quantitative data was gathered from a sample of 72 students (28 male, 44 female) studying chemistry at a public school in Jakarta, Indonesia. Employing a quasi-experimental design, two classes were randomly assigned as experimental and control groups using a coin flip method. The students’ metacognitive skills were evaluated using the Metacognitive Activities Inventory (MCA-I), and the data was analyzed using independent and paired sample t-tests. The findings indicate that SSIBL positively affects students’ metacognitive skills, suggesting its effectiveness in enhancing these skills. This research underscores the potential of SSIBL to be integrated into various subjects in Indonesian secondary education, including chemistry. It offers students hands-on learning experiences, fostering problem-solving, decision-making, and knowledge construction. Hence, educators are encouraged to adopt SSIBL to bolster students’ metacognitive skills across different chemistry topics.