Metacognitive strategies play a critical role in elementary mathematics education by enabling students to plan, monitor, and evaluate their thinking processes. This literature review from Malang State University examined 16 peer-reviewed studies on the effectiveness of these strategies in enhancing students’ conceptual understanding, motivation, and problem-solving abilities in elementary math learning.
The findings showed that these metacognitive strategies significantly enhanced students' problem-solving skills and academic performance. They promoted self-regulation, motivation, and a deeper understanding of math concepts. In addition to cognitive gains, these strategies supported emotional outcomes like decreased math anxiety and increased motivation. The effectiveness can vary, however, due to factors like gender, self-efficacy, time management skills and environment. The researchers state that teachers are crucial for applying these strategies effectively by providing guidance and encouraging student engagement.
StepUp Note
Metacognitive strategies are the strategies we use for problem-solving, including how we plan, monitor and evaluate our learning. These strategies are used for solving math problems, especially word problems, and for reading comprehension (read the words, “see” the meaning) and written composition (writing sequences of sentences on a topic). StepUp consistently requires students to practice metacognitive strategies every day as they move and talk using predictive rhythms to plan, monitor and evaluate their learning.
Note by Nancy W. Rowe, MS, CCC/A