Emerging Trends in Research on Metacognition and Learning in Higher Education

Metacognition is a cognitive process that involves self-reflection and mental self-regulation. The objective of this study is to review the scientific literature on metacognition and its relationship with learning in Higher Education. This research aims to contribute to the general understanding of the field by mapping the scientific investigation within this area of knowledge. To achieve this, an analysis was conducted based on records from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The articles obtained were analyzed using RStudio Cloud. The analysis revealed that between 1988 and 2023, 376 articles on metacognition were published. In 2016, 56 articles were published, marking the most productive year. However, from 2018 to 2022, no publications on this topic were observed. The United States emerged as a leading country in publishing on this theme. The findings indicate that metacognition is a critical factor in learning and teaching in Higher Education. Its promotion can enhance the quality of learning and improve students’ academic performance. Moreover, teaching methods focused on metacognition, such as self-regulation strategies, were found to be more effective than traditional teaching methods. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of metacognition in learning and teaching in Higher Education, particularly regarding its relationship with students' academic performance. It is suggested that promoting metacognition can improve the quality of learning and teaching within the Higher Education context.