The Effectiveness of Training Metacognitive Beliefs and State on Working Memory of Elementary School Students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of training metacognitive beliefs and state on working memory of elementary school students. This study was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test, follow-up and a control group design. The population consisted of elementary school students in Birjand. Forty-six students in the sixth grade were recruited via convenience sampling method. The participants were allocated to the experimental group (n = 23) and the control group (n = 23). The metacognitive training package was used to teach metacognitive beliefs and state. Moreover, the computer image recognition test (N-Back) was used to evaluate working memory. Data were analyzed using Mann Whitney U, Friedman and Wilcoxon tests. The findings indicated a significant difference between the experimental group and the control group. Furthermore, the experimental group showed higher levels of mean in working memory scores compared to the control group. The results of the follow-up test suggested the lasting effect of the training. According to the results of the present study, it can be concluded that training metacognitive beliefs and state might enhances students’ working memory.