The moderating role of cognitive style on the relationship between critical thinking disposition, metacognitive awareness, and metacognitive strategies

This study explicitly investigates the moderating effect of cognitive style—specifically reflective and impulsive—on the relationships among critical thinking disposition, metacognitive awareness, and metacognitive strategies in prospective teachers. A total of 377 participants from 17 Indonesian universities were assessed using validated instruments adapted to the Indonesian Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics context. Reflective prospective teachers exhibited significantly stronger relationships (β = 0.879, p < 0.05; large effect size) between metacognitive awareness and metacognitive strategies, indicating higher cognitive self-regulation. Conversely, impulsive prospective teachers showed weak and non-significant direct relationships (β = 0.097, p > 0.05; negligible effect size), emphasizing their difficulty in applying critical thinking dispositions without enhanced metacognitive awareness. Reflective prospective teachers benefited from intrinsic motivation, cognitive flexibility, and higher self-efficacy, whereas impulsive teachers were hindered by lower self-regulation and external motivational dependence. These findings underline the need for tailored instructional interventions—particularly explicit metacognitive scaffolding, structured guidance, and peer-assisted learning—to effectively support impulsive learners. Future research should employ longitudinal or experimental designs to evaluate long-term effects of cognitive style-specific interventions and explore the potential of adaptive learning technologies to accommodate diverse cognitive profiles.