Daniel C. Moos, Ph.D.

Gustavus Adolphus College, Department of Education

 
Research Overview

Currently, I am involved in three projects:

Project #1: Metacognitive calibration: The impact of feedback. This research focuses on “metacognitive calibration”, which is defined as a student’s perception of his or her knowledge. Inaccurate perception of one’s knowledge can have a detrimental effect on the learning process and outcomes. Believing that you know more or less than your actual knowledge state can lead to less than optimal engagement in the process of learning. This study examines how various types of feedback affect metacognitive calibration. Measures include a think-aloud protocol to assess self-regulation during learning and confidence and prior knowledge/learning assessments to identify metacognitive calibration.

Project #2: Self-regulated learning and epistemological beliefs: The lens through which pre-service teachers define effectiveness? Theories of self-regulation attempt to explain how individuals are active participants in their own learning and make adaptations during knowledge acquisition. Theories of epistemology, on the other hand, examine how individuals view the nature of knowledge. Is knowledge certain or is it tentative, for example? This study examines how pre-service teachers’ personal beliefs, as they relate to self-regulation and epistemology, affect their views of effective instructional practice. I am working with three Gustavus Education students on this study, Amanda Miller, Caitlin Bonde, and Chris Allen.  

Project #2: Student teacher challenges: Using the Cognitive Load Theory as an explanatory lens. I am collaborating with Dr. Deb Pitton to examine how pre-service teachers invest limited cognitive capacity during student teaching.