Uncovering the relationship between metacognitive ability and learning engagement using a moderated mediation model

Learning engagement is a crucial factor influencing the quality of college students' learning. Research indicates that learning engagement is closely related to metacognitive ability, attention, and learning adaptability, but the mechanisms of interaction among these four factors remain unclear. This paper constructs a moderated mediation model to explore the direct effect of metacognitive ability on college students' learning engagement and the mediating effect of attention while examining the moderating effect of learning adaptability. A total of 349 college students participated in this study. The results indicate that (1) there are significant positive correlations between metacognitive ability, attention, learning adaptability, and learning engagement; (2) metacognitive ability has a direct effect on learning engagement; (3) attention partially mediates the relationship between metacognitive ability and learning engagement; and (4) learning adaptability moderates the relationship between metacognitive ability and attention, with the effect of metacognitive ability on attention being stronger in the high-learning adaptability group. These findings provide theoretical and practical guidance for enhancing college students' learning engagement.