Arab Educational Information Network

This study aimed at identifying the Meta cognitive thinking skills which have to be included in the content of the tenth grade science curriculum. It also aimed at recognizing the level of acquiring those skills by the students and that through answering the following questions: 1) What are the Meta cognitive thinking skills which have to be included in the content of the tenth grade science curriculum? 2) To what extent are the Meta cognitive thinking skills included in the content of the tenth grade science curriculum? 3) What is the level of the students' acquiring of the Meta cognitive thinking skills included in the content of the tenth grade science curriculum? 4) Are there statically significant differences at (α ≤ 0.05) in the level of acquiring of the meta cognitive thinking skills included in the content of the tenth grade science curriculum due to the gender (male- female)? The researcher adopted the descriptive approach and the study sample was represented by the tenth grade science textbook of its two parts; the first and the second, set by the Palestinian Ministry of Education in the academic year (2012- 2013). The researcher chose the sample of (549) students; (246) male and (303) female at the tenth grade in North Gaza Governorate whose total number were (5517) students in the academic year (2012-2013). In order to collect data and after checking the validity and reliability, the researcher used two instruments. The first was, content analysis for the science curriculum based on list of Meta cognitive thinking skills prepared by the researcher and included three main skills which were planning, monitoring& controlling and evaluation besides (17) sub skills. The researcher also prepared an achievement test to measure the level of acquiring Meta cognitive thinking skills included in the science curriculum of the tenth grade. In order to answer the study questions, the researcher calculated the frequencies, the mathematical means, the standard deviation, Holisti Equation, Person correlation, Kodard Richardson Equation (20), T-test. The results of the study were as the following: 1) The Meta cognitive thinking skills which have to be included in the science curriculum for the tenth grade were three main skills and (17) sub skills included. 2) Planning skill was at (50.08%), monitoring and controlling skill was at (31.2 %) and evaluation skill was at (18%) out of the frequencies. 3) The curriculum included sub skills counted down as (scientific presentation of knowledge- inquiring- focusing- relating- objectives defining- comprehension- sequencing- ordering-selecting- needs defining- judging- defining of alternative, choices and probabilities-summarizing problem defining-analyzing- prediction and errors discovery). 4) The students' performance didn't reach the level of mastering in Meta cognitive thinking skills which was at (47.95%) and the evaluation skill came first at (52.09%), planning came second at (47.34%) and monitoring and controlling skill was the third at (46.22%) and this was a weak and unsatisfying percent. 5) There are statically significant differences at (α ≤ 0.05) in the mean scores for the male and female in the favor of female students. The study recommended the importance of paying attention to the Meta cognitive skills and including them clearly in the science curriculum of the tenth grade and other curriculums. In addition, the study recommended the importance of implementing teaching strategies by the teachers which develop the Meta cognitive skills. (Author's abstract)