Abstract
Does Metacognitive Knowledge About Explanation Moderate the Effect of Explanation Expectancy?
T. Fukaya
Prior studies have investigated whether the expectation that one will explain materials promotes text comprehension during learning. Such research, however, has had inconsistent results, which suggests that the effects of explanation expectancy depend on individual difference factors. In the present study, an experiment with 8th-grade students examined whether their metacognitive knowledge about explanation (elaborative explaining orientation) moderated the effects of explanation expectancy on text comprehension. Before studying the text, students in the experimental condition were instructed that they would have to explain the content of the text to another person. All the students then read the text, and answered test questions. Students in the experimental group had low text comprehension scores, but only for students with low orientation to elaborate and organize a passage when explaining. The findings demonstrated that moderating factors including metacognitive knowledge about explanation could cause the inconsistent results of previous research.

Key words: explanation expectancy, metacognitive knowledge about explanation, elaborative explaining orientation, text comprehension, moderation