Previous research on metacognition has consistently shown that learners’ post-learning monitoring of their comprehension is often inaccurate, which can limit effective learning. However, it remains unclear whether the criteria learners adopt to judge their comprehension—defined in this study as self-monitoring information used as general strategies—are associated with the accuracy of self-evaluations of comprehension, and whether such relationships differ across developmental stages. To investigate this issue, we compared junior high school students (n = 232) and university students (n = 70) in the context of English grammar learning. Participants engaged in individual self-study tasks, after which they (a) provided self-evaluations of their comprehension, (b) described in open-ended responses the abilities or behaviors they considered as evidence of comprehension, and (c) completed an objective comprehension test. Absolute accuracy, defined as the absolute value of the difference between participants’ self-evaluated comprehension and their scores on the objective test, was used as the indicator of accuracy. Results of t-tests revealed that, among university students, those who articulated higher-quality self-monitoring information as general strategies (e.g., “I can explain it in my own words”) demonstrated more accurate self-evaluations than those relying on lower-quality self-monitoring information as general strategies (e.g., “I can solve the problems”). In contrast, for junior high school students, the quality of self-monitoring information as general strategies did not significantly affect absolute accuracy. These findings suggest that developmental differences exist in the quality and effectiveness of self-monitoring information as general strategies, and that higher-quality information may contribute to more accurate post-learning self-monitoring in later stages of learning. The study highlights the importance of considering developmental changes in metacognitive processes and provides practical implications for supporting learners’ effective self-assessment in educational settings.

Authors:
Maiko Uchihashi, Japan women's University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
I conduct empirical research on the accuracy of metacognitive monitoring and on metacognitive knowledge of comprehension among secondary school students.

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