Sociocultural aspects of metacognitive monitoring

Metacognitive monitoring (the ability to introspect and evaluate cognitive activities and processes) is crucial for children’s self-regulated learning and academic achievement. While previous work has primarily assessed metacognitive monitoring in WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) populations, research with non-WEIRD populations is sparse. This is problematic as it limits the generalizability of the findings to a minority of the world population. Thus, the primary goal of the present umbrella paper is to highlight sociocultural aspects of children’s metacognitive monitoring. Based on the multifaceted and multilevel model of metacognition (Efklides, 2008) and the cultural origins hypothesis (Heyes et al., 2020), I explored three research projects (Studies 1, 2, and 3) through a sociocultural lens. Study 1 revealed that native and non-native speakers do not differ in their metacognitive monitoring in memory and text comprehension tasks, which might suggest that native and non-native speakers share a highly similar sociocultural context for learning (e.g., schools). Study 2 found that native speakers' first language abilities in kindergarten predict metacognitive monitoring in grade one. Conversely, non-native speakers' overconfidence in kindergarten predicted their second language abilities in grade one. Study 3 revealed that metacognitive feedback benefits first graders' metacognitive monitoring. Taken together, our results suggest no cross-cultural differences between native and non-native speakers' metacognitive monitoring, and language and feedback as sociocultural features explaining within-cultural variance in children’s metacognitive monitoring. However, more cross-cultural and within-cultural research is needed to clarify the role of sociocultural aspects for children’s metacognitive monitoring development. This may benefit children’s learning worldwide.
Keywords: metacognitive monitoring, sociocultural aspects, native and non-native speakers, language, feedback

2023

dissertation

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