Metacognitive awareness and academic achievement: the mediating role of students engagement

  • Asfaw Tsega Salale University
  • Belay Tefera Addis Ababa University
Keywords: Academic achivment, metacogntive awarbness, meta cognitive knowledge, secondary students, student engagement

Abstract

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Despite ongoing educational reforms in Ethiopia, a significant proportion of secondary school students experience low academic performance, which is mainly reflected in poor examination results and high dropout rates.This study was aimed to investigate how  metacognitive awareness impacts academic  academic achievement of secondary school students using students engagement as a mediating variable. Data was collected from 180 secondary school students (101 females,79 males) using metacogntive awareness inventory and students engagement scales. The collected data was analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlation, stepwise regression, and path analyses. The findings revealed that metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive regulation showed significant positive correlation with academic achievement.This indicates that students with higher levels of metacognitive awareness tend to achieve higher academic success. The finding also indicated metacognitive knowledge and metacogntive regulation emerged as significant predictors of academic achievement. However, path analysis indicated  metacognitive knowledge was the only direct significant predictor  of  academic achievement.This implied that, improving students’ knowledge of cognition, connection with their school and curiosity about their learning tasks can boost students’ academic achievement of secondary school students.

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Author Biography

Belay Tefera , Addis Ababa University

Belay Tefera Kibret   is a Professor of Psychology and the editor-in-chief of the Ethiopian Journal of Behavioral Studies at the College of Education and Behavioral Studies, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. He has been teaching doctoral program courses in family dynamics, research methods, parenting, child and adolescent development, and support and education.

Throughout his career, he has made significant contributions to the field of psychology, particularly in Ethiopia. He has authored numerous research reports, book chapters, books, and journal articles focusing on various aspects of family dynamics, child and adolescent development, and educational psychology.

His research interests extend to diverse areas, including the student support system in Ethiopia, interventions for enhancing student welfare, and the psychosocial impacts of traffic congestion on urban road networks in Ethiopia, encompassing environmental, economic, and psychosocial dimensions.He can be contacted at email: [email protected]

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Published
2025-12-02
How to Cite
Tsega, A., & Tefera , B. (2025). Metacognitive awareness and academic achievement: the mediating role of students engagement. UMT Education Review, 8(2), 40-57. https://doi.org/10.32350/uer.82.03
Section
Articles