The effects of metacomprehension cuing on college student achievement

Much of the metacomprehension research in recent years has been directed toward improving the academic performances of college students through the use of in-depth study skills training programs. To date research has not established whether extensive training programs are always necessary to activate metacomprehension processes. Nor has research established what procedures are most efficient in predicting who needs study skills training. The present study addressed these issues by assessing the effects of metacomprehension cuing on student achievement and by assessing the usefulness of two procedures (listing of study strategies versus self-reporting on a Likert scale) for identifying students who lack effective study skills.

Sixty-three advanced undergraduates enrolled in three educational psychology classes received instructional packets containing either cues about effective study strategies or placebo material about new directions in metacomprehension research. Subsequently, the cued and noncued students completed a multiple-choice exam over an expository reading assignment. Students also listed the study strategies they used to prepare for the exam and they rated their use of various study strategies on a Likert scale developed by the researcher.

Results of the study showed that cued students significantly outperformed noncued students on the exam. The cued students listed the use of a greater number of study strategies, particularly those that reflected deeper involvement with the material they were studying. For example, the cued students were more apt than noncued students to summarize, paraphrase, and relate the material to their past experiences. The number and types of strategies listed by the students proved to be a better predictor of test performance than did self-reporting via the scaled reporting form.

Although the study showed that cuing can improve the test performances of undergraduates who are not experiencing academic difficulties, the same results might be unattainable with students who are academically "at risk." The current study, however, did suggest that students who list the use of a limited number of study strategies would be good candidates for more in-depth study skills training.