Metacognitive Engagement during Problem Solving while in Naturalistic Homework Study Groups

Metacognitive regulation is a required activity when attempting to solve well-structured word problems. The purpose of this study was to understand the ways in which undergraduate engineering students engage in metacognitive regulation while working on homework in naturally formed study groups. Using ethnographically informed participant observations, three naturally formed groups were observed as they engaged in self-structured work around well-structured engineering homework problems. Using the Naturalistic Observations of Metacognition in Engineering (NOME) protocol, metacognitive regulation behaviors were identified throughout the observations. Behaviors like using a homework format (planning), checking an answer with a peer (monitoring), and discussing reasonableness of a solution (evaluation) are a few of the examples observed by participants. Descriptions of the regulatory behaviors as well as rankings of the rate of engagement are discussed. Metacognitive monitoring activities were observed most frequently while metacognitive evaluation activities were observed least frequently. Implications for research and practice are discussed.