Student Teachers’ Metacognitive Awareness and Perceptions of Problem-Solving Ability

Metacognitive awareness, defined as the ability to plan, monitor, and evaluate one’s own learning, plays a crucial role in problem solving. It enables individuals to determine not only which strategies to use but also when and how to apply them effectively. This study aimed to examine the relationship between student teachers’ metacognitive awareness levels and their perceptions of problem-solving ability. A descriptive survey design was employed. Participants were selected through convenience and purposive sampling, comprising 200 student teachers: 100 from special education (60 females, 40 males) and 100 from preschool education (75 females, 25 males). Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Problem Solving Inventory, and Metacognitive Awareness Inventory. The findings showed that pre-service teachers had high levels of perceived problem-solving skills and metacognitive awareness. A significant, positive, albeit weak, correlation was found between the two constructs. Department had a significant effect only on perceived problem-solving skills, favoring preschool education, whereas gender had no significant effect on either construct. However, grade level had a significant effect only on perceived problem-solving skills before correction; this effect was not found to be significant after Holm–Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. The findings suggest that teacher education programs should incorporate more practice-based and process-oriented activities to foster both metacognitive awareness and problem-solving skills.