Abstract:

Children with learning disabilities (LD) suffer from a broad range of social difficulties in addition to their failings in academic learning. These social difficulties stem from inadequate social cognition, shortcomings in understanding social situations and social interactions, ineffective processing of social information, and most importantly, deficits in social metacognition. The current programs for dealing with this problem, aim to enhance social skills but yield very limited results. A theoretical model, based on Crick and Dodge’s model was developed and a novel and unique intervention program, the Social Metacognitive Intervention Program (SMIP), was designed. The intervention consists of: Teaching metacognitive strategies of self-questioning; emphasizing self-directed learning, and development of social metacognitive processes. This approach was substantiated by empirical findings that show improvement in learning achievements among LD students following intervention programs that include teaching of metacognitive strategies in general, and self-questioning in particular.
The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the SMIP in enhancing social information processing and social behavior and in improving the self-image of LD students. 111 students in 10 special education classes participated in a study that lasted eight months. They were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group, in which the SMIP was applied, and a control group.
A system for computer communication was designed for distant monitoring. This was used for regular guidance to the teachers and receiving feedback from them.
The research methods combined both qualitative (e.g. observations and interviews) and quantitative (e.g. questionnaires) measures. An expanded key was constructed for analyzing this data. In addition, various instruments for feedback and keys for their analysis were constructed.
The procedure started with a pre-treatment baseline measurement, followed by 8 months of monitored application of the SMIP. Following the intervention, repeated measurements analyses were applied.
The results reveal distinct superiority of the experimental group in most of the measurements. The SMIP group scored higher in social understanding and social behavior. Significant differences were found in all the measures of social information processing and social metacognitive processes, including high social sensitivity and empathy, social self-direction, high awareness of the self and of the social task, a rise in assertive behavior, a decrease in introverted behavior, and increased cooperation. The SMIP group also showed improvement in self-image and self esteem.
In conclusion, the findings show that the SMIP made a significant contribution to the improvement of social information processing and social behavior of LD students. Similarly, they validated the new theoretical model, emphasizing the importance of metacognitive processes in enhancing social information processing and social behavior.
It appears that this model should be part of school curriculum and teacher training programs.
The present work also demonstrated the effectiveness of the use of computer communication system for distant guidance and monitoring in a long term and geographically spread low budget study.

Keywords:

Meta-cognition, distant computer monitoring, LD students, social competencies.