Impact of metacognitive interventions on student performance and confidence in introductory biology courses

Benedicta Donkor; John D. Willford; Ruth E. Buskirk; Jonathan F. Prather; Naomi L. Ward; Jordan Harshman; Min Zhong

doi:10.1128/jmbe.00333-25

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Impact of metacognitive interventions on student performance and confidence in introductory biology courses

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Impact of metacognitive interventions on student performance and confidence in introductory biology courses

Benedicta Donkor, John D. Willford, Ruth E. Buskirk, Jonathan F. Prather, Naomi L. Ward, Jordan Harshman and Min Zhong

Journal of microbiology & biology education, e0033325

06/09/2026

DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.00333-25

PMID: 42262119

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Abstract

This study investigates the impact of a metacognitive intervention on student content performance and confidence across three key biology content modules: protein, respiration, and cell division. The intervention, conducted in Fall 2021 across six large classrooms at three institutions, included two treatment groups and one control group, alternating by module. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc analyses were used to identify group differences. Results show that metacognitive strategies significantly enhanced student performance in the protein module, the first to receive the intervention, with notable score gains in the treatment group. Students with metacognitive training performed significantly better on higher-order questions (HOQs) than the control, suggesting a greater benefit for tackling complex tasks in some contexts. Confidence was also significantly boosted, especially among low-confidence students, but the impact varied by module. The effects in the respiration and cell division modules were less pronounced. Overall, the study highlights the effectiveness of metacognitive strategies in promoting both content understanding and confidence, especially for students with low initial confidence, but their effectiveness appears to depend on contextual factors. The results underscore the importance of tailoring these strategies to diverse topics or content, and individual learning needs to maximize their effectiveness.

Research Article

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Title: Subtitle: Impact of metacognitive interventions on student performance and confidence in introductory biology courses
Creators: Benedicta Donkor - Auburn University
John D. Willford - Banner Wyoming Medical Center
Ruth E. Buskirk - The University of Texas at Austin
Jonathan F. Prather - Institute of Zoology
Naomi L. Ward - Colorado State University
Jordan Harshman - Auburn University
Min Zhong - The University of Texas at Austin
Contributors: Jack Wang (Editor)
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of microbiology & biology education, e0033325
DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.00333-25
PMID: 42262119
NLM abbreviation: J Microbiol Biol Educ
ISSN: 1935-7877
eISSN: 1935-7885
Publisher: ASM
Number of pages: 15
Grant note: Biology Leadership Community
This project was funded by the Catalytic Grant 2021 from Biology Leadership Community.
Language: English
Electronic publication date: 06/09/2026
Academic Unit: Chemistry
Record Identifier: 9985174807802771

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