Abstract:

We describe a “strategic” metacognitive tutoring for university students where the Perception of the Strategic Skills Questionnaire (QPCS) was used. The intervention, as part of the PLS-Chemistry Project at the University of Bologna in the years 2017/18 and 2018/19, started from the hypothesis that the development of a self-direction in learning contributes to efficacy and continuity in academic studies, contrasting university dropout.

The project, which developed an experience of the University of Parma, has been divided in three phases:
1) presentation and administration - in presence - of the QPCS questionnaire to the first-year students of the Chemistry/Industrial Chemistry degree courses (N = 401);
2) restitution of the individual results, followed by an exhaustive explanation by a pedagogist - in presence - of the global results;
3) 30 students, voluntarily, chose to follow a tutoring, managed by a pedagogical tutor together with a chemistry tutor. The tutors were previosuly specially trained.

The tutoring process begins with a personal interview with the trained tutors on their perception and analysis of their QPCS results. Then, 3 group meetings with trained tutors, based on a reflection on their own learning processes, followed. The final meeting focused on student discussion of strengths and critical points of the proposed learning model.

The qualitative data collected allowed us to develop some reflections on the methods of administration, restitution and use of the results of the QPCS, and finally on the reactions of the students. This strategic tutoring could be an innovative didactic approach, to effectively contrast university dropouts.

The project has also the final aim to construct a conceptual framework for future research.

Keywords:

Strategic metacognitive tutoring, QPCS, Learning strategies, human tutor in presence, chemistry, university students, Scientific Degrees Plan, conceptual framew.