Reconsidering Metacognition Measurement Questionnaires for Science Education: Limitations of Off-line Methods and Recommendations

Abstract

Science education researchers and teachers consider cultivating students’ metacognitive abilities to be important. Therefore, measurement questionnaires have been developed to take stock of these abilities. However, recent studies have pointed out that it is challenging to measure metacognition via self-reported measurement methods (off-line method) such as the questionnaire method. This study aimed to confirm whether questionnaires can truly measure metacognition in science learning. We verified the convergent validity and discriminant validity of metacognition measurement questionnaires developed for science education thus far. The results of our literature survey and analysis revealed that no substantial positive correlation between metacognition measurement questionnaires and academic achievement in science had yet been found. Genuinely positive correlations, however, were found between metacognition measurement questionnaires and narcissism or social desirability bias. Neither convergent validity nor discriminant validity was supported. Based on the above results, in this paper we further consider the limitations of metacognition measurement methods in current science educational research and corresponding strategies in the future.