Integrating written metacognitive awareness guidance as a ‘psychological tool’ to improve student performance

A study was designed to test the effect of using MetaCognitive Awareness Guidance (MCAG) as a vehicle for activating and engaging learners’ existing prior knowledge before they begin a reading assessment task. A total of 300 pupils (aged 9–10) studying in ten 4th grade classes in four different schools in Israel participated in the research. The major assumption of the study was confirmed: increasing learners’ metacognitive awareness by means of well-planned guidance, built on prior knowledge, facilitates their learning and improves outcomes on a reading assessment task. This paper focuses on the linkage between three components of learner performance, what we refer to as the ‘Assessment Triangle’: (1) achievement on reading assessment tasks; (2) performance on metacognitive awareness guidance; and (3) awareness of metacognitive reading strategies. The implications and the function of this revealed linkage will be discussed.