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Metacognitive skills are strategies that students think about to achieve a particular learning objective and the level at which learners organize, monitor, and modify work to ensure the effective learning. Metacognitive skills are important aspect of chemical problem solving. The advantages that can be gained when solving problems with metacognitive skills is build a strong and comprehensive understanding of a problem and increase students’ thinking process.

 

Metacognition involved three dimensions. These are knowledge about the thinking process, and controlling of one’s commitment, attitude and attention to learn new complex task. Metacognitive skills are based on students problem solving steps. Metacognitive skills consist of planning, monitoring, and evaluating.

 

Material in this study is acid based titration. This material is related with acid base, buffer solution, and salt hydrolysis materials. Before study the titration material, students must understand the three materials. This study was conducted when students have studied acid base titration material.

 

Aim of this study is to determine students metacognitive skills in chemistry learning, specially acid base titration material in XI science class. This study was conducted in Muhammadiyah 4 Senior High School Surabaya, in the academic year 2017/2018. Participants of this study were 32 students of XI science class and one chemistry teacher. The collecting data using observation technique. Instrument of this study used questionnaires for students and interview sheets for teachers. The data were analyzed descriptively.

 

Table 1. Research instrument

 

Instrument

Number of Questions

Aspect

Questionnaires for students

25 questions

 

Learning,

Problem solving, and

Metacognitive skills

Interview sheets

17 question

 

Based on interview results, teachers have trained students to solve problems. The teachers has asked students to make problem solving steps for a problems, and review the steps. Based on questionnaires results, metacognitive skills students 46,875% enough category, 31,25% less category, and 21,875% very less category. This can be due to 46,875% of students find it difficult to determine what steps should be taken in working on the problem. 18,75% of students find it difficult to evaluate the steps and outcomes, and 15,625% of students find it difficult to understand the question to solve the problem. These results indicate students problem solving skills and metacognitive skills are low.

Metacognitive skills; problem solving; acid base titration material