Thinking about thinking: changes in first-year medical students' metacognition and its relation to performance

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Metacognition is crucial in medical education, encompassing knowledge and regulation of cognition.
• Understanding metacognitive skill development is key to enhancing learning strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in metacognitive knowledge and regulation in first-year medical students throughout an academic year.
• To examine the correlation between metacognitive dimensions and academic performance.

Main Methods:

• The Metacognitive Skills Inventory (52 items) was administered to 159 first-year medical students.
• Academic performance was assessed using students' year-end results.
• Paired sample t-tests and correlation analyses were employed.

Main Results:

• No significant difference was observed in the knowledge of metacognition from the beginning to the end of the academic year.
• A significant improvement in the regulation of metacognition was found.
• A very strong positive correlation existed between knowledge and regulation of metacognition; a moderate correlation was found with academic performance.

Conclusions:

• Metacognitive regulation can be enhanced within an academic year in medical programs.
• The moderate correlation suggests metacognitive skills contribute to academic success in medical students.
• Teaching and learning activities likely positively influence metacognitive development and academic outcomes.