The Impact of Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning on Academic Achievement in Mathematics at the Middle School Level

Abstract

Many questions have been asked about how to teach math, how to get students to like math, how to engage students in math and how to increase math scores. Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) have an impact on mathematics achievement in middle school students.

In this quantitative study, the Self-Reflection Questionnaire, MKMQ was used to measure metacognition before, during, and after students solved mathematics word problems, and SRSI-SR was used to measure SRL before students completed mathematics word problem assessments. Middle school students reported Metacognitive Knowledge (MK) of Self, Task, and Strategy and SRL strategies of managing v environment and behavior, seeking and learning information, and maladaptive regulatory behavior. This study investigated the correlation between scores of the subtests of MKMQ and SRSI-SR, the predictive value of the scores of these two measures on mathematics achievement, and the effect of gender, grade level, and mathematical ability on metacognition and self-regulated strategy use.

The Pearson r results found a positive correlation between scores on subsets of MKMQ and SRSI-SR and Assessment with Three Mathematics Word Problems. The results of multiple regression found only one subtest of MKMQ predicted mathematical achievement on the Assessment with Three Mathematics Word Problems. Results found that there was only a statistically significant difference between males and females in one subtest of MKMQ. For grade level, after conducting One-Way ANOVA, multiple comparisons between grades indicated some differences. For mathematical ability, Independent Samples t-Tests revealed that no variable had a statistically significant difference.

If explicit instruction of metacognitive knowledge (MK) and self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies is added to direct instruction of mathematics strategies to approach mathematics word problems, mathematical achievement will improve.