Effect of Metacognitive Skills Training on Metacognitive Awareness, Self-Efficacy and Academic Achievement of University Students

Aims: Metacognition deals with active monitoring and adjusting the results and cognitive processes to gain the purpose. Academic self-efficacy is dependent on students’ perception of learning and is an important factor in the success of students reasoning. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of metacognitive skills training on metacognitive awareness, self-efficacy and academic achievement in university students. Materials Methods: This semi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest controlled approach was conducted in all students of Kashan University of Medical Sciences in 2014. 50 participants were selected by cluster sampling and were randomly divided into 2 intervention and control groups. Metacognitive awareness of reading strategies inventory (MARSI) and General Self-efficacy Scale were used for data gathering. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA test. Findings: There were significant difference between the score of the pretest and posttest of the intervention group in both self-efficacy and metacognition awareness. In addition, there were significant differences between posttest scores of intervention and control groups in self-efficacy (p 0.001; F=42.46) and cognitive awareness (p 0.001; F=190.99), but there was no significant difference (p=0.072; F=3.39) in academic achievement between the intervention and control groups’ posttest scores. Conclusion: Metacognitive training affects metacognitive awareness and selfefficacy but it is not founded for academic achievement.