Metacognition and Meta-Affect in Young Students: Does It Make a Difference in Mathematical Problem Solving?

Mathematical problem solving is one of the most valuable aspects of mathematics education
and the most difficult for elementary school students. Cognitive and metacognitive difficulties
in this area cause students to develop negative attitudes and emotions as affective reactions,
hampering their efforts and achievements. These metacognitive and meta-affective
reactions are fundamental aspects of self-regulated learning (SRL), a non-innate process
that requires systematic, explicit student training. This study investigated the impact of
two self-regulation programs among young students (Grade 5)—metacognition (n = 64)
and meta-affect (n = 54) versus a control group (n =53)—on enhancing achievements in
mathematical verbal problem solving and a novel transfer task, as well as metacognitive and
meta-affective regulation processes of a focus group during a thinking-aloud solution. Mixed
methods indicate that students who participated in the metacognitive and meta-affective
intervention programs presented similar but higher achievements than the control group.
Additionally, during the thinking-aloud solution, students from each group broadly implemented
the self-regulation processes they were trained in, while consistently referring to all
the self-regulation phases. The current study makes an important contribution to practical
implications for students with diverse abilities.