Can metacognition predict your success in solving problems? An exploratory case study in programming

TL;DR

This study investigates whether metacognitive skills can predict success in learning programming, finding that metacognition explains a significant portion of performance variance in an introductory course.

Contribution

It introduces a two-dimensional model of metacognition and empirically demonstrates its predictive power for programming performance.

Findings

Metacognitive awareness and behavior positively influence programming success.

Metacognitive behavior explains 27% of the variance in programming performance.

Metacognition can be a key predictor of success in introductory programming courses.

Abstract

Metacognition has been recognized as an essential skill for academic success and for performance in solving problems. During learning or problem-solving, metacognitive skills facilitate a range of cognitive and affective processes, leading collectively to improved performance. This study explores the predictive potential of metacognition in the second introductory programming course. A two-dimensional model has been proposed, consisting of metacognitive awareness and metacognitive behavior. To evaluate the predictive capacity of metacognition empirically, an exploratory case study with 194 participants from two institutions was conducted in the second introductory programming course. A latent approach was employed to examine the associations between metacognition and performance in object-oriented programming. Our findings indicate that both metacognitive dimensions have a positive effect on programming. Likewise, the results of the structural equation modeling show that 27% of variance in programming performance is explained by metacognitive behavior. Following the results, metacognition has the potential to be considered as one of the important predictors of performance in introductory programming.