Metacognitive Awareness and Academic Performance: Implications from a Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective in Pre-service Teacher Education

Abstract

Background

Metacognition cognitive self-awareness and self-regulation of cognitive processes is a key predictors of successful learning and academic success. For future teachers among students following BEd, metacognitive skill acquisition is crucial not just for their own academic success but also for constructing reflective and inclusive teaching.

Purpose

The aim of the present research is to assess the levels of Metacognitive Awareness and Academic Achievement among BEd students, contrast gender differences in each of these, and explore pedagogical implications in teacher education courses.

Methods

Quantitative design was employed along with percentage analysis, independent samples t-tests, and Pearson’s correlation to assess the Metacognitive Awareness and Academic Achievement of BEd students. The study also compared results between genders to find out whether there were any significant differences.

Results

The findings revealed that 60% of the students had above-average Metacognitive Awareness, while academic achievement was diverse, and 40% was below average. No gender differences that were statistically significant appeared in either domain. There existed a very weak positive and statistically nonsignificant correlation between Academic Achievement and Metacognitive Awareness, meaning that metacognitive awareness cannot guarantee academic performance.

Conclusion

The results highlight the need to incorporate formal metacognitive training within teacher education curricula. Reflective practice, individual academic support and formative assessment are recommended to promote closer alignment between metacognitive awareness and academic achievement. All interventions are crucial for preparing BEd students as effective, reflective and inclusive teachers.

Introduction

Education is commonly acknowledged as the greatest instrument for a country’s development and transformation. Nations distinguished by high standards in formal, cultural, political, and socio-economic spheres typically have robust and thriving educational institutions. Education enhances performance quality across all domains. It empowers the individual to pursue a prosperous, autonomous and gratifying existence within society. Education is regarded as a potent instrument for facilitating social development and transformation. It encompasses the cultivation of human values, emotional equilibrium, critical thinking, reasoning, problem-solving skills, decision-making capabilities and self-actualisation. The statement elucidates both the significance of education and the value of self-directed learning.

Metacognition is a word initially coined by Flavell (1979). ¹ It entails recognising and comprehending one’s cognitive strengths and deficiencies. It also encompasses students’ awareness and comprehension of their own cognition, utilising this insight to enhance their learning. Metacognition encompasses two critical dimensions: metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive regulation. Prior studies on metacognition indicated a strong correlation with academic success.^2–6 Metacognitive skills encompass awareness of one’s cognitive processes in learning, the selection of strategies, the monitoring of learning progress, error correction, the evaluation of the efficacy of learning strategies, and the assessment of learning behaviours and strategies as needed.

Metacognition is one’s ability to know and regulate cognitive processes. ⁷ Flavell ¹ conceptualised metacognition as ‘knowledge of cognitive about cognitive phenomena’. Simply stated that metacognition is thinking about thinking. It is concerned with the knowledge of an individual’s thinking as well as the organisation of their own cognitive structures. ⁸

Metacognitive awareness refers to the recognition of one’s own cognitive processes. Metacognitive Awareness is often associated with improved learning outcomes and effective problem-solving skills. Metacognitive awareness can affect an individual’s self-concept, decision-making processes and general psychological health.

Academic Achievement is a critical indicator of a student’s educational progress and overall intellectual development. It represents the extent to which a student has achieved their learning objectives and acquired the knowledge, skills and competencies expected at a particular level of education. For BEd students, Academic Achievement is not merely about obtaining high grades; it is also a reflection of their readiness to assume the role of future educators. It embodies their grasp of pedagogical theories, subject matter knowledge, classroom management techniques and understanding of learner psychology. Metacognitive Awareness has emerged as a significant predictor of academic success. Students who are able to plan, monitor and evaluate their learning strategies tend to perform better academically because they engage in more effective and self-directed learning.

In the context of BEd students, Academic Achievement is particularly crucial as it influences their future effectiveness as educators. A teacher who has demonstrated high Academic Achievement is more likely to possess the confidence, content knowledge and pedagogical competence necessary for effective teaching. Moreover, Academic Achievement is often used as a benchmark for entry into higher education, eligibility for scholarships, and recruitment into reputed teaching institutions. Hence, it carries both intrinsic and extrinsic value.

Numerous factors influence Academic Achievement. These include individual characteristics such as intelligence, motivation, study habits and emotional stability, as well as external factors like quality of instruction, peer influence, parental support and availability of learning resources. However, metacognition has received growing attention for its critical role in enhancing academic outcomes. Students with higher Metacognitive Awareness are better equipped to regulate their learning process, which leads to more meaningful learning and better performance in assessments.

Academic Achievement is also influenced by students’ self-efficacy, or the belief in their own abilities to accomplish tasks. Students who believe they can succeed are more likely to take initiative, persist in the face of challenges, and make effective use of metacognitive strategies. This, in turn, improves their academic performance. For BEd students, fostering such self-belief is essential, as they are expected to serve as role models and motivators for their future students.

Despite the fact that large volumes of studies have proven the role of metacognition in increasing learning and self-regulated learning, the present situation necessitates robust research on the association between metacognitive awareness, specifically and academic performance among teacher trainees, especially in India. The majority of previous studies on metacognition and achievement have been done with school children or large numbers of undergraduates, providing relatively minor attention to pre-service teachers in BEd courses, the priority population to influence learning spaces in the future.

In addition, while the theoretical link between metacognitive awareness and academic achievement is taken for granted, empirical research infrequently incorporates gender-based differences or provides mixed evidence about the existence of metacognitive development by gender and the impact of differences on academic achievement. There are also a few studies that explore the pedagogical practical implications of integrating metacognitive training into teacher education programs directly, thus creating a disconnection between theoretical knowledge and practice in professional teacher education.

Objectives of the Study

1. Assess the Metacognitive Awareness of BEd students.

2. Investigate the Academic Achievement of BEd students.

3. Compare Metacognitive Awareness of male and female BEd students.

4. Compare Academic Achievement of male and female BEd students.

5. Identify the Pearson correlation between the Metacognitive Awareness and Academic Achievement of BEd students.

Hypothesis of the Study

H₁: No significant difference exists in the mean scores of Metacognitive Awareness of male and female BEd students.

H₂: No significant difference exists between the mean scores of Academic Achievement of male and female BEd students.

H_3: No significant correlation exists between Metacognitive Awareness and Academic Achievement of BEd students.

Review of Literature

A literature review is crucial for all research projects, as it establishes the foundation for defining, framing and executing the research problem. A review of literature is crucial for understanding the theoretical background, previous research findings, and gaps in the current knowledge related to metacognitive awareness, emotive cognition and academic achievement. The present study builds upon multiple domains of research that converge on improving meaningful learning through strategic cognitive interventions. Özçakmak et al. ² examined the potential impact of MA on academic performance. The research population comprised 314 pre-service teachers enrolled in the faculty of education. The study utilised a descriptive survey methodology. The research revealed that the pre-service instructors had a high level of MA. The MA levels of pre-service instructors were not influenced by gender. It was determined that academic accomplishment positively affected their degrees of MA. The pre-service teachers demonstrated the ability to forecast, plan, monitor and evaluate their cognitive activities.

Latief ⁹ conducted a study which revealed an association between metacognitive skills (hereafter referred to as MS) and the academic achievement (hereafter referred to as MS) of higher secondary school pupils. A cohort of 200 higher secondary students (100 males and 100 females) was selected for the study using a convenience sampling technique and the MS Scale developed by Madhu Gupta and Sumari (2020). The study’s findings revealed a significant association between MS and AA among higher secondary school pupils in the Baramulla district. Hasan and Vijayarani ¹⁰ investigated the Metacognitive Awareness (hereafter referred to as MA) of BEd student teachers in a sample of 63 who were selected using a stratified random sampling technique, giving due representation from Coimbatore District. The result revealed that no significant difference was observed in the MA of BEd student teachers with respect to gender. Sarwer and Govil ¹¹ investigated the impact of achievement motivation on MA among secondary school students and found that achievement motivation has a positive effect on MA. A total of 1,007 students participated in the research. Achievement motivation was measured using the Deo and Mohan (2011) scale, while MA was assessed with a standardised version of Govil’s (2003) inventory. Sonowal and Kalita ¹² investigated the correlation between MA and AA among higher secondary students in the arts stream within Dibrugarh, Assam. A sample of 134 students from Grade XII was chosen. The standardised Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI), created by Schraw and Dennison (1994), was utilised to assess students’ MA. The results indicated a positive association between MA and AA, as well as between cognitive regulation and AA. Chaudhary ¹³ investigated the comparative impact of the learning style and metacognition of 200 BEd students enrolled in colleges connected with C.C.S. University, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. The data collection utilised the Learning Style Inventory (LSI) developed by David A. Kolb in 1985 and the Metacognition Inventory (MCI) created by Jamal Abedi. A substantial difference was observed in the Concrete Experience Learning Style, Reflective Observation, Abstract Conceptualisation and Active Experimentation Learning Styles of BEd students. Jain et al. ¹⁴ assessed the influence of MA on students’ academic adaptation and performance outcomes. A cohort of 522 students was recruited for the study. The study’s results indicated that MA is positively correlated with academic adjustment and academic achievement. The study’s findings indicated that gender does not influence pupils’ MA. Gupta ¹⁵ investigated the relationship between metacognition, learning and thinking styles, and academic achievement in school students, along with the ability to predict academic success based on metacognitive skills and learning and thinking styles. The study comprises a sample of 500 students picked by a random sampling technique. The data were gathered with the Meta Cognitive Skills Scale (MCSS) developed by Gupta and Suman (2017) and the Style of Learning and Thinking (SOLAT) instrument by Venkataraman (2011). This investigation employed Pearson’s correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression as statistical techniques. The findings revealed that MS and learning and thinking styles are significant determinants of academic improvement among secondary school pupils. Kaur and Kaur ¹⁶ examined the relationship between AA, metacognitive and problem-solving abilities of senior secondary students. The sample consists of 200 randomly selected male and female students in grade XI from the PSEB and CBSE boards of Amritsar District. The study’s results indicated no substantial disparity in metacognition and problem-solving skills between female and male students in medical streams. Das ¹⁷ evaluated the relationship between MS and AA among BEd students. This research included a sample of 300 Bachelor of Education students. The researcher utilised the Metacognitive Inventory scale developed by Govil (2003) to assess MA. The study’s results revealed a substantial correlation between metacognitive ability and academic success among BEd students. Jagadeeswari and Chandrasekaran ¹⁸ studied the MA in higher secondary students. A sample of 445 pupils from government, government-aided and private schools in Chennai was obtained using simple random sampling. The MAI was employed to assess MA. The study found that students generally had high MA, with significant differences observed based on gender and school management type. However, no significant differences were found based on residential locality or family income. The study highlights the importance of promoting MA for academic success. Rahman et al. ¹⁹ examined the current MA of educators, students and administrators in Bangladesh, spanning from higher secondary schools to universities. A 26-item MA questionnaire was presented to 285 participants. Descriptive statistics were employed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS 23 to analyse the quantitative data. The study revealed that the majority of participants possess an average level of MA; they exhibit greater awareness of metacognitive knowledge than of metacognitive strategies and skills; male participants demonstrate slightly higher MA than their female counterparts; and MA varies based on an individual’s locality and identity type. Isgor20 assessed the association between metacognitive skills and academic achievement of 251 high school students. Percentage, frequency, correlation, and stepwise linear regression analysis were employed to compute the results. The statistics demonstrate a favourable and substantial association between meta-cognitive skills and average academic performance. Kristiani et al. ²¹ examined the correlation between MS and AA among high school students in Malang, Indonesia. This correlational study involved twenty-three participants. The researcher does multiple regression analysis to analyse the acquired data for the investigation. An essay examination, along with an evaluation of academic accomplishment, was employed to assess students’ metacognitive abilities. The study’s findings indicate that meta-cognitive skills accounted for 71.42 percent of students AA.

Research Methodology

This study employed a quantitative approach with a survey methodology for data collection. This study involved a sample of 100 BEd students from Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University and Affiliated colleges in Kanpur Nagar by the convenience sampling technique.

The researcher has employed the following tools standardised tool of MS scale by Madhu Gupta and Suman (2017) for the present study to ensure comprehensive and accurate data collection.

Reliability Analysis

The reliability of the instrument was found from both the technique Test-Retest and Split-Half Method. Reliability through Test-Retest (TR) Method was 0.73, whereas Reliability through Split-Half Method was 0.949.

Analysis and Interpretation of Data

Descriptive statistics, including mean, median, mode and standard deviation, are essential in examining characteristics and trends within the data, facilitating the creation of item summaries, tables and graphs.

The first objective of the present study was to assess the MA of BEd students. After the collection of the data, the data was scored, and the percentage of students was calculated with reference to the level of Metacognitive Awareness (Table 1).

Table 1. Metacognitive Awareness of BEd Students.

Metacognitive Levels	Scores	Total Students	Percentage of Students
Below average	119–137	03	03
Average	138–163	14	14
Above average	164–182	60	60
High	183–201	9	9
Very high	202 & above	14	14
Total		100	100

The objective was to assess the MA of BEd students: 14% students have very high MA, 9% BEd students exhibit high MA, 60% BEd students exhibit above average and 14% students achieve average MA.

The second objective was to assess the AA of BEd students. The average of AA is held between 60% and 74%. It was found that there are 23% students who have above-average Academic Achievement. 37% students are those who lie within 60%–74% and in the last, 40% students are those who are below 40% in their Academic Achievement (Table 2).

Table 2. Academic Achievement of BEd Students.

Academic Achievement	Score	No. of Students	Percentage
Below average	Below 60	40	40
Average	60–74	37	37
Above average	75 and above	23	23

The third objective was to compare the MA of male and female BEd students. After the collection of data independent t-test was utilised to assess the difference in metacognitive skills of BEd students. The data pertaining to scores, mean, standard deviation and t-value are depicted in Tables 3 and 4.

Table 3. Metacognitive Awareness of Male and Female BEd Students.

Group Statistics
	Gender	N	Mean	Std Deviation	Std Error Mean
Metacognitive awareness	Male	44	172.7500	17.39169	2.62190
	Female	56	175.5893	18.02904	2.40923

Table 4. Metacognitive Awareness of Male and Female BEd Students (t-test).

		F	Sig.	t	df	Sig. (2-tailed)
Metacognitive awareness	Equal variances assumed	0.183	0.670	−0.794	98	0.429
	Equal variances not assumed			−0.797	93.921	0.427

Table 4 indicates that the t-value is 0.429, exceeding the significance threshold of 0.05. Hence, the null hypothesis (H1) is not rejected. This signifies that the average scores of metacognitive skills for male and female students do not differ considerably. It can be argued that male and female BEd students exhibit comparable levels of confidence in their academic success across diverse contexts. Gender does not influence the metacognitive skills of BEd students.

The fourth purpose of this research article is to make a comparison between AA of male and female BEd students. An independent t-test was applied with the help of SPSS software to assess the difference in mean academic scores between male and female BEd students. The mean, standard deviation (represented as SD), standard error, degrees of freedom and t-test are presented in Tables 5 and 6.

Table 5. Academic Achievement (Male and Female) BEd Students.

Group Statistics
	Gender	N	Mean	SD	Std Error Mean
Graduation marks (in %)	Male	44	66.29	10.753	1.621
	Female	56	64.36	8.631	1.153

Table 6. Academic Achievement (Male and Female) BEd Students (t-test).

		F	Sig.	t	df	Sig. (2-tailed)
Graduation marks (in %)	Equal variances assumed	3.637	0.059	0.995	98	0.322
	Equal variances not assumed			0.969	81.266	0.335

Table 6 indicates that the t-value is 0.322, exceeding the significance criterion of 0.05. So, the null hypothesis (H2) is accepted. This indicates that there is no significant disparity in the academic performance of male and female BEd students, thereby gender does not significantly influence the academic performance of BEd students.

The fifth purpose of the study is to ascertain the link between MA and AA among BEd students. To ascertain the association between metacognitive skills and AA of BEd students, the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was utilised.

Table 7 indicates that the correlation coefficient between MS and AA is 0.135, with a significance value of 0.181, exceeding the 0.05 threshold. Consequently, no substantial link was identified between metacognitive skills and AA among BEd students. Consequently, the null hypothesis (H3), which posits the absence of a substantial association between MS and AA among BEd students, is accepted.

Table 7. Correlation Between Academic Achievement and Metacognitive Awareness.

Correlations
		Academic Achievement	Metacognitive Awareness
Academic achievement	Pearson correlation	1	0.135
	Sig. (2-tailed)		0.181
	N	100	100
Metacognitive awareness	Pearson correlation	0.135	1
	Sig. (2-tailed)	0.181
	N	100	100

In other words, the obtained r-value (0.135) shows a negligible positive correlation with AA—not a negative correlation.

Conclusions

The present research was conducted with the primary aim of assessing the MA and AA among BEd students, and to explore the influence of gender and the relationship between these two key educational constructs. The study employed percentage analysis, t-test and correlation to draw meaningful insights into the cognitive abilities and performance outcomes of pre-service teachers.

The results of the study indicate that a significant majority of BEd students possess an above-average level of Metacognitive Awareness. Specifically, 60% of the respondents demonstrated above-average awareness, while another 23% showed high to very high levels of awareness. This is a positive indication, as metacognitive skills are essential for effective learning, critical thinking, problem-solving and self-regulation—all of which are vital attributes for future educators. Only a minimal proportion (3%) of students displayed below-average awareness, highlighting that the overall population in the study is cognitively well-prepared for educational challenges.

With regard to Academic Achievement, the findings reveal a somewhat balanced distribution. Approximately 37% of students scored within the average range (60%–74%), 23% had above-average scores (75% and above) and another 40% fell below the average threshold. The mean academic score was 73%, indicating general consistency in performance, but also revealing a scope for improvement in elevating students into the higher achievement brackets. The distribution suggests that while many students are academically competent, there remains a significant number whose performance can be improved with better academic support, engagement and instructional strategies.

The gender-based comparisons conducted in the study provide significant insight into equality in educational performance and cognitive skills. The analysis revealed no statistically significant difference between male and female students for MA or AA. This finding reinforces the idea that cognitive capability and academic performance are not gender-biased and that educational interventions should be designed with inclusivity and equity. The mean scores of both groups were closely aligned, further validating the conclusion that gender does not serve as a determining factor in the areas investigated in this study.

Perhaps the most critical observation of this study is the correlation (or lack thereof) between MA and Academic Achievement. While a positive correlation was observed (r = 0.135), it was not statistically significant. This suggests that having high MA does not automatically guarantee high academic success. The absence of a strong correlation might be attributed to factors such as a lack of practical application of metacognitive skills in academic contexts, insufficient teaching strategies focused on metacognitive training, external distractions, or low levels of engagement with metacognitive tasks.

Implications of the Study

Although most BEd students demonstrated above-average Metacognitive Awareness, this did not strongly correlate with Academic Achievement. This suggests a need for structured integration of metacognitive strategies into teaching practices. Lesson plans and course materials should include components like self-questioning, goal setting and strategic planning activities to promote deeper engagement with learning tasks. Teachers should not only foster awareness of metacognitive skills but also guide students on how to apply these strategies in real academic contexts. Workshops, peer-led study groups and task-based learning environments can support students in translating awareness into action. With a significant proportion of students scoring below average academically despite good awareness levels, institutions should consider providing targeted academic support.

Authors’ Contribution

All authors contributed equally to the research article.

Data Availability

Available on request.

Statement of Ethics

Not required.