The effect of metacognition and curiosity on elementary school student's physics performance and satisfaction with physics classes: considering gender as a factor

• Tamara Jovanovic ^[1] ; Mariana Jaškov ^[1] ; Slađan Jelić ^[1] ; Ivana Mirović Vesna Bogdanović ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Novi Sad
• Localización: European Journal of Psychology of Education, ISSN-e 1878-5174, ISSN 0256-2928, Vol. 40, Nº 3, 2025
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1007/s10212-025-00981-3
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen

  • Metacognition and curiosity play an important role in the educational process. Therefore, it is significant to examine their correlation with students' performance and satisfaction with classes. In order to examine whether the effect of metacognition and curiosity on physics performance and satisfaction with physics classes depends on gender, a study with 270 students from seventh and eighth grade (13 and 14 years of age) at two elementary schools was conducted. Junior Metacognitive Awareness Inventory and Epistemic Curiosity Scale were used to measure metacognition and curiosity traits. The correlation between metacognition and curiosity is positive and significant. Metacognitive regulation is more pronounced for girls than for boys. The correlation between students' metacognition and curiosity and their physics performance was not moderated by gender, and the same applied to their satisfaction with physics classes. Additionally, gender did not emerge as a significant predictor of either physics performance or satisfaction. The results of this study could be supported by additional data from similar research, which might provide insights that can influence teachers' perspectives. The importance of considering gender as a factor in the relationship between metacognition, curiosity, and students' performance and satisfaction lies in recognizing various possibilities to improve physics teaching.

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