Learning Environment Design Based on Manipulative Supported Metacognitive Planning: An Example of Factors and Multiples

This study was carried out in order to evaluate the manipulative supported learning environment designed based on metacognitive planning for middle school 8th grade students to learn the subject of multipliers and multiples. The case study model, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study in which 19 middle school 8th-grade students participated. In the study process, a virtual and physically manipulative supported learning environment based on metacognitive planning was designed first. Then, the activities prepared in accordance with the learning environment were applied to the participants in a six-week period. At the end of the intervention process, the data of the study were collected by conducting interviews with the help of a semi-structured interview form prepared by the researchers. Content analysis was performed on the collected data. As a result of the content analysis, the views of the participants were gathered under three themes: metacognition, manipulative and learning environment. The results of the study showed that in the learning environment based on metacognitive planning with manipulative support, students preferred to work more with physical manipulatives in the first weeks and more with virtual manipulatives in the last weeks. For this reason, it may be suggested to practitioners to support metacognitive learning environments with virtual manipulative and technology activities.