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Using Metacognitive Strategies to Improve Academic Performance in Biochemistry
Author(s) -
Srougi Melissa,
Miller Heather
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.2021.35.s1.02299
Subject(s) - mindset , psychological intervention , metacognition , psychology , academic achievement , affect (linguistics) , perception , medical education , learning environment , persistence (discontinuity) , mathematics education , cognition , medicine , computer science , communication , psychiatry , neuroscience , geotechnical engineering , artificial intelligence , engineering
Growing evidence suggests that students’ self‐beliefs about the ability to alter their academic abilities can directly influence long‐term achievement. These self‐beliefs or mindsets can either be fixed (unchangeable) or growth oriented. Students with growth mindsets believe their academic abilities can change, which leads to higher grades and academic persistence in contrast to students with fixed mindsets. However, less is known about how these attributes affect student learning, particularly in college level biochemistry courses. In this study, we utilized social‐psychological interventions to promote growth mindset among third and fourth year undergraduate students enrolled in a one semester Biochemistry survey course. Using a mixed‐methods study design we evaluated student mindset, attitudes towards learning, and academic performance over four semesters. Our results suggest that although students’ mindsets did not change as a result of metacognitive interventions, their positive perceptions about learning vs performance did increase. Furthermore, students receiving growth mindset interventions significantly outperformed students who did not receive interventions on the final cumulative exam that assessed critical thinking skills. These results suggest that metacognitive interventions can be an effective tool to improve student academic performance in a biochemistry course.