The Effect of Metacognition on University Students' Performance in Mathematics

Abstract

Mathematics is a basic discipline in fields such as science and engineering, providing a solid theoretical foundation for other disciplines. The study of mathematics major enables college students to deeply understand and apply mathematical principles and lay the foundation for future professional development. College students learning mathematics well is crucial for personal career development and national development. The impact of metacognition on mathematical achievements has long attracted the attention of the education community. This study explores the impact of metacognition on college students' mathematical achievements through questionnaires. Participants included 308 mathematics college students from different grades. The study found that on the whole, metacognition is positively correlated with mathematical scores. Specifically, self-monitoring plays a key role in this relationship. Students who are good at using metacognitive strategies and have good self-monitoring ability are more likely to achieve better math results. Statistics support this discovery and are statistically significant (p<0.05). The research results emphasize the importance of cultivating students' metacognitive skills to improve the mathematical academic level of undergraduate students. However, the study also pointed out the limitations of the investigation and suggested that future research should conduct more in-depth discussions on sample selection and research design.