Abstract
This study investigated the role of metacognition in mathematical word problem solving and examined the effects of metacognitive awareness on university students. In Study 1, we developed the Word Problem Solving Metacognition Scale (WPSMS), a task-specific questionnaire designed to measure metacognitive activities immediately after problem solving. Participants solved mixture problems and then completed both free-response items and the WPSMS. Scale scores showed moderate to strong correlations with solution accuracy and coded metacognitive responses, demonstrating reliability and validity, particularly in the planning, execution, and evaluation phases. In Study 2, we examined whether a brief instructional intervention on metacognition could enhance performance. Students who received a short (7.5-minute) explanation of metacognition scored higher on both problem solving and WPSMS than those without instruction, suggesting that even minimal awareness-raising can facilitate metacognitive activity. These findings indicate that task-specific measurement is effective for capturing metacognition and that promoting awareness may support mathematical problem solving in higher education.
https://ror.org/02gn38d51 
