Effectiveness of the Metacognitive-based Pedagogical Intervention on Mathematics Achievement: A Meta-Analysis

Metacognition is a 21st-century lifelong skill and integrating this into a learning intervention is increasingly crucial to students' progress. However, studies have shown that there is a lack of empirical studies that focused entirely on the effect of metacognitive-based intervention on mathematics education. Thus, this meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of the metacognitive-based pedagogical intervention on students' mathematics achievement. From various meta-search engines, 23 out of 2341 empirical studies from 2015 to 2022 met the set of inclusion and exclusion criteria and were subsequently included in the analysis. Using Comprehensive-Meta-Analysis (CMA) software, descriptive statistics were gathered and analyzed to generate moderator analysis, heterogeneity, publication bias, forest plots, funnel plots, trim and fill method, and Hedges'g effect size. Findings showed that the overall weighted effect size was g=1.358, indicating that metacognitive-based pedagogical intervention has a significantly large and positive effect on students' mathematics achievement. Further moderator analysis showed significant differences in mathematics subject area, while the educational level and targeted learning outcomes found no significant differences. These results establish the effectiveness of using metacognitive-based pedagogical interventions in mathematics education. Findings also serve as a foundation for teachers and educators in making informed decisions on introducing a potential intervention that impacts mathematics education.