Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore experimentally the role of metacognition in mathematical problem solving. The present paper aims to investigate the metacognition which forth and fifth graders could use during problem solving. For this purpose, the author proposed four types of metacognitive activities; 『device』, 『check』, 『correction』, 『attention』. The metacognitive activity of 『device』 is to determine what to do in order to solve the problem very well. The metacognitive activity of 『check』 is to look at his/her activities. The metacognitive activity of 『correction』 is to reflect his/her own activity, to give up it, and to have a new that. The metacognitive activity of 『attention』 is to be on the lookout for his/her own activity. The method of this investigation is that all pupils individually have to solve the four problems on the work-sheet and answer the metacognitive questionnaire. The way of analysis is to mark at pupil's work-sheet and to identify his/her metacognitive activities. The main findings of this investigation are the followings: (1) As the pupil became older, the number of his/her metacognitive activities (in particular, 『device』 『correction』 『attention』) increased. (2) The number of pupil's metacognitive activity and marks at his/her work-sheet were positive correlation. (3) Pupils who marked high scores at their work-sheets, the number of their metacognitive activities the of four problems were almost positive correlation. Pupils who marked middle scores at their work-sheets, the number of their metacognitive activities the of four problems were almost negative correlation.
