| From numerous studies, researchers found that metacognition, which is often referred to as the ability to think about thinking, plays an important role in learning (Chambres, Bonin, Izaute, & Marescaux, 2002; Chan & Moore, 2006; Chi, 1981; Graves, 1983; Jonassen, Strobel, & Lee, 2006; Ross, Green, Salisbury-Glennon, & Tollefson, 2006). Metacognition is higher-level thinking that involves active control over the thinking processes involved in learning. Among the many definitions of metacognition, Paris and Winograd (1990) offered a more comprehensive view in which metacognition is observed through two essential features: (a) cognitive self-appraisal (CSA) and (b) cognitive self-management (CSM). While self-appraisal in learning refers to a learner's personal judgment about his or her ability to meet a cognitive goal, self-management refers to maintaining executive control that will indicate, "how metacognition helps to orchestrate cognitive aspects of problem solving" (p. 18). The ability to plan, regulate, and evaluate learning are the skills commonly used to indicate the presence of students' self-management.;This study investigated the relationship between cognitive self-appraisal and cognitive self-management, and their relationship with the level of difficulty of the problem of three different groups of engineering students (i.e., computer science, electrical and computer engineering, and mechanical engineering) working on their senior design projects. Moreover, this study also evaluated students' metacognitive changes while engaged in their project. Four research questions were constructed to guide this study: (a) Was there any significant relationship between cognitive self-appraisal and cognitive self-management of the three groups of engineering students (i.e., electrical-computer engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science) while engaged in the design project?, (b) Was there any significant relationship between a student's metacognition (i.e., cognitive self-appraisal and cognitive self-management) and the level of difficulty of the design problem of the three groups of engineering students?, (c) Did electrical-computer engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science students exhibit significant differences in cognitive self-appraisal and self-management while engaged in the design project?, and (d) Was there any significant change in students' metacognition during their engagement in the design project?;The quantitative study involved 168 engineering students working on 60 different design projects, and 3 engineering professors advising the students and evaluating the level of difficulty of the projects. The study used 2 survey instruments: A 34 Likert-scale of items of Engineering Design Project Inventory (EDPI) for assessing students' cognitive self-appraisal and self-management, and a 6 Likert-scale of items of Rubric for Rating Students' Design Project (RRSDP) for evaluating the level of difficulty of students' design projects. Statistical tests such as Bivariate Correlation, one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Paired-Samples t tests were conducted to analyze the data and answer the four research questions.;The students participants were asked to complete the EDPI survey instrument twice, once at the early and once at the final stage of the project. During the second round of completing the EDPI survey, the student participants were also requested to answer two open-ended questions regarding to the possibility of experiencing self-appraisal and self-management change while engaged in the project. Approaching the end of the semester, the advising professors were requested to rate the level of project difficulty by completing an RRSDP.;The statistical tests results revealed (a) the existence of a significant relationship between students' cognitive self-appraisal and self-management, (b) the absence of a significant relationship between students' metacognition and level of project difficulty, (c) the absence of a significant metacognitive difference among the three groups of engineering students, and (d) the existence of a significant metacognitive change in mechanical engineering students' overall metacognition between the early and final stages of the design project. Eighteen distinct themes that described the influencing factors for students CSA change and 23 distinct themes that described the influencing factors for their CSM change were also presented. Based on the findings of this study, a number of recommendations were made to engineering educators and researchers who wish to pursue further research in this area. |
