Mediating effects of quality learning on metacognitive knowledge, metacognitive experience and outcomes

S. Chee Choy, Joanne Sau Ching Yim and Poh Leong Tan
Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, Malaysia

This study examined the mediating effects of quality learning on metacognitive knowledge, metacognitive experience, and learning outcomes for a sample of 1274 university students. Data were collected using the Quality Assurance Perception Questionnaire for Students (QAPQ-S), a self-report questionnaire designed to measure students' perceptions of quality learning in higher education. Metacognitive theory was used as the framework to build a research model with seven constructs which was analysed using SmartPLS. The independent variables were metacognitive knowledge (resources, learning environment, curriculum) and metacognitive experiences (delivery and support, learning skills), quality learning was the mediating variable, and learning outcome was the dependent variable. The results showed significant relationships between learning outcome and metacognitive experiences which are students' perceptions of quality of teaching and learning support given by a university. Quality learning partially mediated the influence of delivery and support on learning outcomes. Quality learning also partially mediated learning outcomes and curriculum, the process of perceiving and organising new information in order to achieve learning outcomes in metacognitive knowledge. Quality learning did not mediate learning outcomes and learning environment and there was no relationship with resources. Limitations and implications for practice are also discussed.
[ PDF full text for this article ]

Authors: Associate Professor Choy Siew Chee holds a PhD in educational psychology from the University of Exeter. She is currently the Head of the Perak Branch Campus of Tunku Abdul Rahman University College. Her research areas include perceptions and attitudes toward issues pertinent in higher education. Email: choysc@tarc.edu.my Web: https://www.tarc.edu.my/staffDirectory.jsp?fdept=KPR&fbrncd=PK&fdivcd= Joanne Sau Ching Yim is a senior lecturer at Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, Malaysia. She holds an MPhil in social science and is currently undertaking her doctoral training. Her research areas include perceptions and attitudes of teachers and students in primary schools, secondary schools, and higher education institutions. Email: yimsc@tarc.edu.my Web: https://www.tarc.edu.my/staffDirectory.jsp?fdept=KPR&fbrncd=PK&fdivcd= Dr Tan Poh Leong is a senior lecturer in Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, Malaysia. He holds a PhD in business administration and his research interests include consumer behaviour, education, quantitative research methodology and in particular, structural equation modelling. Email: tanpl@tarc.edu.my Web: https://www.tarc.edu.my/staffDirectory.jsp?fdept=KPR&fbrncd=PK&fdivcd= Please cite as: Choy, S. C., Yim, J. S. C. & Tan, P. L. (2019). Mediating effects of quality learning on metacognitive knowledge, metacognitive experience and outcomes. Issues in Educational Research, 29(1), 1-18. http://www.iier.org.au/iier29/choy.pdf