A Study on Metacognitive Thinking Skills of University Students

Yemliha Coşkun

doi:10.11114/jets.v6i3.2931

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the university students’ metacognition thinking skills. The research is a descriptive study in the screening model.The study was carried out with 407 students from the faculties of physical education and sports, education science and letters, business administration, theology, engineering, forestry and agriculture at Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University during the 2016-2017 academic year. They were selected by convenience sampling method. 'Personal Information Form' and ‘Metacognitive Thinking Skills Scale’, used as data collection tools. The research data were analyzed through use of SPSS 15.0. The study has concluded that university students have higher levels of metacognitive thinking ability together with their, 'thinking skill, reflective thinking skill intended for problem solving, decision making skill, alternative evaluation' sub dimensions. There has been an increase in the level of metacognitive thinking skill as well as the increase in the class level. Students studying in the faculty of theology were determined to have the highest level of highest metacognitive thinking skills. This was followed by students studying in education, physical education and sports, science-letters, forestry, agriculture and business administration respectively.

Highlights

Having existed since the Ancient Greeks, metacognition has become a frequently used word in educational psychology recently
The research sample holds a total of 407 second, third and fourth grade university students who study at the faculties of physical education and sports, education, science and letters, theology, business administration, engineering, forestry and agriculture at Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University during the 2016 and 2017 academic year
In terms of level of reflective thinking skill intended for problem solving, physical education and sports department students are higher than engineering and agriculture faculty students; education faculty students are higher than business administration, engineering and agriculture faculty students; science and letters faculty students are higher than engineering faculty students; theology faculty students are higher than engineering, forestry, and agriculture faculty students; forest faculty students are higher than engineering faculty students and agriculture faculty students are higher than engineering faculty students

Summary

Introduction

Having existed since the Ancient Greeks, metacognition has become a frequently used word in educational psychology recently. Referring to higher order thinking which includes active control over the cognitive processes engaged in learning (Sonowal and Kalita, 2017), metacognition is explained as one's own knowledge of his/her cognitive processes and outcomes or anything related to them (Flavell, 1976). (Papaleontiou-Louca, 2003), and which constitutes the superficial structure of data process and governs and controls the cognitive processes (Altındağ,Senemoğlu, 2013). In other words, it indicates that the individual knows the structure and functioning of his own cognitive system (Tunca, Alkın-Şahin, 2014), knows what he is learning and how to learn it (Altındağ, Senemoğlu, 2013)

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Conclusion