Cultural patterns of metacognitive guidance in Australian homes

This article provides insight into the cultural patterns of metacognitive guidance that occurs among children and mothers in selected Australian homes. Fourteen Anglo Australian and eight immigrant Indian (Telugu) mothers' interactions with their 4-year-old male and female children on a puzzle-solving task were videotaped. Mother-child dyads' interactions were analyzed with respect to metacognitive guidance. The results indicated variations in Anglo Australian and immigrant Indian (Telugu) mothers' metacognitive guidance, rooted in, respectively, cultural frames of independence (Australian) and interdependence (Indian). The results support the notion of cultural specificity in metacognitive guidance. Implications for early childhood practice are provided.