Relationship between Metacognitive Thinking and the Need for Cognition and the Academic Achievement of High School and University Student in Riyadh

Abstract

The purpose of present study is to investigate the correlation between Metacognition and the need for cognition and academic achievement, and the differences between science and literary majors in Metacognition and the need for cognition. The sample of the study consisted of 407 students, including 206 high school students and 201 university students from King Saud University in Riyadh. An established instrument by Schraw and Dennison (1994) metacognitive awareness inventory and Cacioppo et al.’s (1984) questionnaire were used for the purpose of this study. Results found that the majority of the sample have high levels of metacognition, and moderate levels of the need for cognition. There were no differences in metacognition and the need of cognition attributed to students’ major (science and literary). There was a significant positive correlation between metacognition and the need of cognation among high school and university students. However, there was no statistically significant correlation between the need for cognation and academic achievement of all students at high school and university levels, while statistically significant differences were found between academic achievement and metacognition in information processing among high school students.