Students Into Scholars: Using Practical Metacognitive Tools to Help Students Succeed

Authors

Keywords:

metacognition, learning strategies, student resistance, readiness to change, personal identity, scholarly identity, Transtheoretical Model

Abstract

Metacognition is a key to effective learning, foundational to critical thinking and fostering scholarly and professional identity. Yet many faculty are uncertain how to integrate metacognitive skill development into classes. This article describes two metacognitive instruments, the TTM-LS and the LSSA, that are short, simple to use, and discipline agnostic. Results can encourage development of student metacognitive skills, promote critical thinking, decrease assignment resistance, and enhance strategies such as collaborative learning. Students may increase personal responsibility for their learning and adopt more effective learning strategies. Developing metacognitive skills can also enhance student narratives of themselves as scholars and professionals.

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Author Biographies

  • Anton O. Tolman, Utah Valley University

    Anton Tolman is a Professor Emeritus at Utah Valley University in the Behavioral Science department. He is also past director of the Faculty Center for Teaching Excellence and served as Assistant Chair for the department. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Oregon, and his research has focused on metacognition and teaching and learning.

  • Benjamin A. Johnson, Utah Valley University

    Dr. Benjamin A. Johnson is Associate Professor of Higher Education and Associate Chair in the Department of Student Leadership and Success Studies at Utah Valley University. He received a Ph.D. in Education in Educational Philosophy and Psychology from The Ohio State University. His teaching and research interests include higher education leadership, student metacognition, and faculty-student mentoring. 

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Published

2025-02-25

Data Availability Statement

This data is not publicly available, in part because of the original dates when it was collected. The IRB approval did not include consideration of making the data publicly available.

How to Cite

Students Into Scholars: Using Practical Metacognitive Tools to Help Students Succeed. (2025). Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 36(1). https://celt.miamioh.edu/index.php/JECT/article/view/1145