Learning how to learn is a process—and for college students, that process can take years. New research from the University of Georgia offers one of the clearest looks yet at how students develop the skills to plan and evaluate their own learning throughout their undergraduate careers. 

Specifically, researchers were looking at their metacognition skills, or a student’s ability to self-analyze how they learn. Julie Stanton, Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor in Franklin’s genetics department, said that much of the research on metacognitive development in students focuses on childhood rather than young adulthood. This created a need for a deeper dive into the metacognition of college students, she said.  

“We've known metacognition is a really powerful way students can make their learning more efficient and more effective,” Stanton said. “But as to how do we help them accelerate their metacognitive development—that wasn't really clear.” 

For the study, undergraduate and graduate students in UGA’s Departments of Genetics and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology followed a cohort of 15 students majoring in the biological sciences at the University of North Georgia over the span of four years. Stanton said the team focused on life science students because metacognition is contextual. The skills you may use in a biology class may greatly differ from the ones you may need for an accounting class. 

Researchers interviewed the UNG students each year about their study habits. This included how the students studied for exams and assignments and why they chose those study methods. Students were also asked to evaluate how successful their study habits were and what they may or may not change in their study strategy going forward.  

“A lot of our students at University of Georgia and other USG schools have been successful in high school without having to study,” Stanton said. “A huge challenge they face in college is, for the first time, they're having to reflect on how they're learning because they're not getting grades they find satisfactory. I think it's really an amazing time to look at metacognition and how we could help students use it better for their learning.” 

After combing through more than 1,600 pages of qualitative data, Stanton and her team found that while students entering college have metacognition skills, it takes time for them to develop and connect them to their current study habits.  

Some students can assess that their plan is ineffective, but they may not yet have the skills to make changes to their study plan, Stanton said. For example, when asked by a researcher about their future study plans, a student may continue to suggest using a study group with classmates before an exam despite acknowledging that the group struggled to remain on task.  

In some cases, Stanton said that students would cite their “learning styles” as reasons for choosing certain methods for studying. While people may have preferences for how to learn something, Stanton said the concept of learning styles—believing one way of learning works best for an individual—is largely a myth. By relying too much on an alleged learning style, Stanton said many students ignore study methods that might be useful for their classes. 

Stanton said without support from mentors and instructors, students may not be using their metacognition skills at the highest level. She recommends faculty provide targeted guidance to students who may need help connecting or examining their own learning. This is especially helpful for younger students, she said. 

"There are opportunities for a professor to help a student take the ability to evaluate that something's not working and then plan accordingly," she said. “That could be as simple as asking a student what didn't work, and then when they plan, confronting them. ‘You said this didn't work. Tell me why you're going to use it again.’” 

Stanton said the next step is to examine what barriers exist for students in their metacognitive development, and once identified, what strategies can help students progress their development.  

“This paper is foundational because we really characterize what it looks like as a student develops metacognition through their four years of college," she said. “Now we want to ask: if these are the stages, what are the metacognitive trajectories, and what influences whether students continue to develop their metacognition?”