Effects of Mobile-based Ethnobiology Instruction on Students’ Metacognitive Skills
Description
The dataset for this study was generated as part of a quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design investigating the effects of Mobile-based Ethnobiology Instruction (MBEI) on students’ metacognitive skills in biology. Data were gathered from 30 Grade 10 students in a public high school in San Gabriel, La Union, during the third quarter of School Year 2020–2021, through synchronous and asynchronous online distance learning. Students completed the Metacognitive Skills Scale (MSS), which measures knowledge of learning strategies, planning, monitoring, and evaluation, before and after the intervention. Additional qualitative data were obtained from weekly reflection journals and structured interviews, providing insights into students’ self-regulation, motivation, collaboration, and technological self-efficacy. The dataset includes anonymized pretest and posttest scores, coded reflection journal entries, and interview transcripts. These data can be interpreted to evaluate both statistical changes in metacognitive skills and the qualitative themes emerging from students’ learning experiences, and may be used by other researchers to explore links between mobile-based instruction, ethnobiology integration, and metacognitive development in secondary education.
Files
Steps to reproduce
Data Collection and Reproducibility The dataset was collected through a quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design examining the effects of Mobile-based Ethnobiology Instruction (MBEI) on metacognitive skills in biology. Participants and Sampling Sample size: 30 Grade 10 students (ages 14–16). School: Public high school in San Gabriel, La Union, Philippines. Sampling approach: One intact class, heterogeneous in ability (high, average, low performers). Inclusion criteria: Students who attended ≥80% of sessions; students with ≥3 absences were excluded. Instruments Used Metacognitive Skills Scale (MSS) (Altindag & Senemoglu, 2013). 3 subscales: (a) Metacognitive Knowledge and Learning Strategy, (b) Knowledge about Learning and Learning Unit, (c) Planning and Monitoring Learning. Likert scale (1–5); Cronbach’s alpha = 0.96 (high reliability). Administered as pretest and posttest via Google Forms. Qualitative instruments: Weekly reflection journals (structured prompts). Semi-structured interviews conducted online. Instructional Intervention (MBEI Protocol) Framework: 5Es instructional model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate). Content: Integration of local ethnobiological knowledge with biology curriculum concepts. Duration: 5 weeks, with 2-hour synchronous sessions weekly, plus asynchronous tasks. Technologies used: Google Classroom (assignment dissemination, activity submissions). Google Forms (individual tasks, reflection journals). Google Sheets/Slides (collaborative group work). Google Meet (synchronous discussions, presentations). Learning Activities Preliminary activity: Posting tasks on Google Classroom. Asynchronous work: Individual tasks on Google Forms. Group collaboration: Small groups organized discussions, prepared outputs on Google Slides, and coordinated via Google Meet. Synchronous sessions: Students presented outputs and engaged in discussion linking traditional knowledge to biology concepts. Evaluation: Weekly multiple-choice quizzes (10 items). Data Processing and Analysis Quantitative: MSS scores analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, SD, median). Inferential analysis: one-tailed t-test for dependent samples (pretest vs. posttest). Qualitative: Reflection journals and interview transcripts were coded thematically (emerging themes: motivation, collaboration, technological self-efficacy). Software/Tools: MS Excel and SPSS for quantitative analysis; manual content analysis for qualitative data.
Institutions
- Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
- University of the Philippines Diliman