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An Analysis of Metacognitive Teaching Approaches and Their Impact on Learning Outcomes in Higher Education

Received: 9 September 2025     Accepted: 9 October 2025     Published: 30 October 2025
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Abstract

Metacognitive instructional strategies aim at enhancing the awareness of learners to their cognitive strategies so that they can plan, observe, and assess their learning strategies. These practices can change the focus on just accepting knowledge to self-regulated learning, which is a crucial skill in higher education, where critical thinking and problem solving are the keys to academic achievement and life-long education. The researcher seeks to examine the application and the efficacy of metacognitive instruction methods including self-questioning, reflection journaling, and think-aloud schemes on learning outcomes in higher education. The aims will be to determine the typical use of metacognitive instructional practices, assess their effects on student performance, and student perceptions of metacognitive instructional practices. The research design used was mixed-methods research design, integrating both quantitative and qualitative approaches to provide a comprehensive understanding of metacognitive teaching strategies and their impact on learning outcomes in higher education. The quantitative component examines the relationship between exposure to metacognitive strategies and academic performance, while the qualitative component explores in-depth perceptions and experiences of students and instructors. This dual approach enhances the validity and richness of the findings. The research design included a survey of 200 undergraduate students and in-depth interview of 20 faculty members of the university, of various disciplines. Quantitative data were analyzed using statistical tools to assess performance outcomes, while qualitative data provided insights into student and teacher experiences. The findings reveal a positive correlation between the use of metacognitive strategies and improved academic performance, motivation, and self-efficacy. Students exposed to metacognitive instruction demonstrated better critical thinking, problem-solving, and knowledge retention. Faculty reported enhanced classroom engagement and deeper learning. The study highlights the need for integrating metacognitive training into teacher education programs and curriculum design to foster independent, reflective learners in higher education.

Published in International Journal of Education, Culture and Society (Volume 10, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijecs.20251005.16
Page(s) 293-301
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Metacognition, Higher Education, Teaching Strategies, Self-Regulated Learning, Learning Outcomes, Reflective Practices, Instructional Design, Student Engagement

References
[1] Ali, M. S., & Rajab, T. (2022). The impact of metacognitive strategies on student engagement in higher education. International Journal of Instruction, 15(2), 255–270.
[2] Bannert, M., Sonnenberg, C., Mengelkamp, C., & Pieger, E. (2021). Promoting learning strategies and metacognitive skills by metacognitive prompts in STEM education. Educational Technology Research and Development, 69(4), 2059–2081.
[3] Biggs, J., & Tang, C. (2011). Teaching for quality learning at university (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
[4] Chen, K., & Law, K. M. Y. (2022). Self-questioning as a metacognitive strategy: Effects on comprehension and engagement in online learning. Computers & Education, 180, 104455.
[5] Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
[6] Flavell, J. H. (1979). Metacognition and cognitive monitoring: A new area of cognitive–developmental inquiry. American Psychologist, 34(10), 906–911.
[7] Han, J., & Park, Y. (2021). Reflection journal writing in higher education: A tool for metacognitive development. Journal of Educational Research, 114(5), 418–430.
[8] Karami, H., & Ahmadi, M. (2023). Reciprocal teaching and its role in fostering metacognitive reading comprehension. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 39(1), 56–75.
[9] Khalil, M., Elkhider, I., & Abdalla, H. (2021). Concept mapping as a teaching strategy to foster metacognitive skills. Medical Education Online, 26(1), 1892167.
[10] Kramarski, B., & Michalsky, T. (2022). Enhancing metacognitive thinking in higher education using digital feedback. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 38(3), 780–792.
[11] Novak, J. D., & Cañas, A. J. (2008). The theory underlying concept maps and how to construct and use them. Institute for Human and Machine Cognition.
[12] Panadero, E. (2017). A review of self-regulated learning: Six models and four directions for research. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 422.
[13] Palincsar, A. S., & Brown, A. L. (1984). Reciprocal teaching of comprehension-fostering and comprehension-monitoring activities. Cognition and Instruction, 1(2), 117–175.
[14] Pintrich, P. R. (2004). A conceptual framework for assessing motivation and self-regulated learning in college students. Educational Psychology Review, 16(4), 385–407.
[15] Santoso, H. B., Nugroho, A. A., & Putra, D. P. (2021). Investigating metacognitive learning strategies and their impact on academic performance. Education and Information Technologies, 26(2), 1765–1783.
[16] Schraw, G., & Dennison, R. S. (1994). Assessing metacognitive awareness. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 19(4), 460–475.
[17] Schraw, G., & Moshman, D. (1995). Metacognitive theories. Educational Psychology Review, 7(4), 351–371.
[18] Scharlach, T. D. (2023). Metacognitive strategies in literature classrooms: A pathway to deeper reading. Journal of Literary Education, 7(1), 101–118.
[19] Shah, B. R. (2025) An Analysis of Cognitive Flexibility and Student Engagement: Reimagining Teaching Strategies in Post-Pandemic Higher Education: International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology. Volume 10, Issue 7, July – 2025.
[20] Veenman, M. V. J. (2020). Learning to self-monitor and self-regulate. Educational Psychology Review, 32(1), 69–82.
[21] Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: An overview. Theory into Practice, 41(2), 64–70.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Shah, B. R. (2025). An Analysis of Metacognitive Teaching Approaches and Their Impact on Learning Outcomes in Higher Education. International Journal of Education, Culture and Society, 10(5), 293-301. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijecs.20251005.16

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    ACS Style

    Shah, B. R. An Analysis of Metacognitive Teaching Approaches and Their Impact on Learning Outcomes in Higher Education. Int. J. Educ. Cult. Soc. 2025, 10(5), 293-301. doi: 10.11648/j.ijecs.20251005.16

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    AMA Style

    Shah BR. An Analysis of Metacognitive Teaching Approaches and Their Impact on Learning Outcomes in Higher Education. Int J Educ Cult Soc. 2025;10(5):293-301. doi: 10.11648/j.ijecs.20251005.16

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijecs.20251005.16,
      author = {Bilal Rafiq Shah},
      title = {An Analysis of Metacognitive Teaching Approaches and Their Impact on Learning Outcomes in Higher Education
    },
      journal = {International Journal of Education, Culture and Society},
      volume = {10},
      number = {5},
      pages = {293-301},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijecs.20251005.16},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijecs.20251005.16},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijecs.20251005.16},
      abstract = {Metacognitive instructional strategies aim at enhancing the awareness of learners to their cognitive strategies so that they can plan, observe, and assess their learning strategies. These practices can change the focus on just accepting knowledge to self-regulated learning, which is a crucial skill in higher education, where critical thinking and problem solving are the keys to academic achievement and life-long education. The researcher seeks to examine the application and the efficacy of metacognitive instruction methods including self-questioning, reflection journaling, and think-aloud schemes on learning outcomes in higher education. The aims will be to determine the typical use of metacognitive instructional practices, assess their effects on student performance, and student perceptions of metacognitive instructional practices. The research design used was mixed-methods research design, integrating both quantitative and qualitative approaches to provide a comprehensive understanding of metacognitive teaching strategies and their impact on learning outcomes in higher education. The quantitative component examines the relationship between exposure to metacognitive strategies and academic performance, while the qualitative component explores in-depth perceptions and experiences of students and instructors. This dual approach enhances the validity and richness of the findings. The research design included a survey of 200 undergraduate students and in-depth interview of 20 faculty members of the university, of various disciplines. Quantitative data were analyzed using statistical tools to assess performance outcomes, while qualitative data provided insights into student and teacher experiences. The findings reveal a positive correlation between the use of metacognitive strategies and improved academic performance, motivation, and self-efficacy. Students exposed to metacognitive instruction demonstrated better critical thinking, problem-solving, and knowledge retention. Faculty reported enhanced classroom engagement and deeper learning. The study highlights the need for integrating metacognitive training into teacher education programs and curriculum design to foster independent, reflective learners in higher education.
    },
     year = {2025}
    }
    

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