| The purpose of this experimental study was to examine the effects of initial mental model construction in the early stage of a learning process on mental model development, performance, metacognition, and intrinsic motivation in the context of learning how to create a personal financial plan. An initial mental model building activity was offered as an instructional intervention for learning a complex task, which consisted of a presentation of simple example of a financial plan and creating annotated concept maps (ACMs) based on a problem scenario. Cognitive apprenticeship provided a general framework for independent learning in an online learning environment. The MANCOVA analysis results suggest that the initial mental model construction enhanced only metacognition and the structural aspect of mental model development. Limitations of the study are discussed such as lack of time for ACM training and the main learning activity along with recommendations for future research. |
