The Level of Metacognitive Thinking of Graduate Students Laghouat University as a Model

Abstract

The current study aims to explore the levels of metacognitive thinking among first-year master's students. The research seeks to identify differences in metacognitive thinking levels based on variables such as gender, specialization, and the educational system. Conducted at Amar Thelidji University in Alaghut, Algeria, the study involved a sample of (120) students. The Arabic version of the Schraw and Dennison Metacognitive Thinking Scale (1994), translated by Abdelnasser Al-Jarrah and Alaa Al-Din Obeidat, was utilized. The questionnaire consists of (52) items distributed across three dimensions. Hypotheses were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results indicated a high level of metacognitive thinking among first-year master's students in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Additionally, no significant differences were found in metacognitive thinking levels based on variables such as gender and specialization. However, differences were observed based on the educational system, favoring students in the classical system. The current study represents a scientific addition regarding the concept of metacognitive thinking, the broad concept encompassing an individual's awareness of their cognitive processes, and their utilization of these processes to facilitate and enhance their learning, as well as improve their memory, through various skills that play a significant role in cognitive activities. Additionally, this study focused on the level of metacognitive thinking among a segment of graduate students, considering their specificity due to their advanced academic stage, which indeed requires a level of metacognitive thinking. The study was conducted on a sample of graduate students at the University of Laghouat, representing the first study of its kind to be applied to the graduate student community at the University of Laghouat.