Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Developmental relationship between declarative metacognitive knowledge and reading comprehension during secondary school

  • Published:
European Journal of Psychology of Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Knowledge about one’s own cognitive processes is the basis for the monitoring and regulation of learning processes for effective reading comprehension. Taking verbal cognitive ability into account, the present study aimed to examine the developmental trajectories of reading comprehension and declarative metacognitive knowledge and their interrelationship from grade 5 to grade 8. A multivariate latent growth curve analysis was conducted using longitudinal data collected from secondary school students in Germany at four time points (grades 5, 6, 7, and 8). The participants showed developmental gains in both reading comprehension and declarative metacognitive knowledge during this time period. While a widening of gap was observed for reading comprehension between high- and low-achieving students from grades 5 to 8, there was no evidence of an increase or a decrease in the gap in declarative metacognitive knowledge during the study period. The initial level of reading comprehension and the later developmental gain were significantly predicted by early verbal cognitive ability. Verbal cognitive ability had a significant effect on initial declarative metacognitive knowledge but not on later developmental gains. Developmental changes in reading comprehension and declarative metacognition were significant and appeared to be parallel in slope. While early declarative metacognitive knowledge was significantly related to later developmental gains in reading comprehension, early reading comprehension was not significantly related to later developmental gains in declarative metacognition. This study’s findings are discussed with respect to the impact of strategies (declarative metacognitive knowledge) on reading comprehension and on the developmental interplay between both constructs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abedi, J., Bailey, A., Butler, F., Castellon-Wellington, M., Leon, S., & Mirocha, J. (2005). The validity of administering large-scale content assessments to English language learners: an investigation from three perspectives. CSE Report 663. National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST).

  • Alexander, J. M., Carr, M., & Schwanenflugel, P. J. (1995). Development of metacognition in gifted children: directions for future research. Developmental Review, 15(1), 1–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allon, M., Gutkin, T. B., & Bruning, R. (1994). The relationship between metacognition and intelligence in normal adolescents: some tentative but surprising findings. Psychology in the Schools, 31(2), 93–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Annevirta, T., Laakkonen, E., Kinnunen, R., & Vauras, M. (2007). Developmental dynamics of metacognitive knowledge and text comprehension skill in the first primary school years. Metacognition and Learning, 2(1), 21–39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11409-007-9005-x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Artelt, C., Naumann, J., & Schneider, W. (2010). Lesemotivation und Lernstrategien.

  • Artelt, C., Neuenhaus, N., Lingel, K., & Schneider, W. (2012). Entwicklung und wechselseitige Effekte von metakognitiven und bereichsspezifischen Wissenskomponenten in der Sekundarstufe. Psychologische Rundschau.

  • Artelt, C., & Schneider, W. (2015). Cross-Country Generalizability of the Role of Metacognitive Knowledge in Students’ Strategy Use and Reading Competence. Teachers College Record, 117(1), n1.

  • Artelt, C., Demmrich, A. & Baumert, J. (2001). Selbstreguliertes Lernen. In J. Baumert, E. Klieme, M. Neubrand, M. Prenzel, U. Schiefele, W. Schneider, P. Stanat, K.-J. Tillmann & M. Weiß (Hrsg.), PISA 2000. Basiskompetenzen von Schülerinnen und Schülern im internationalen Vergleich (S. 271-298).

  • Aunola, K., Leskinen, E., Onatsu-Arvilommi, T., & Nurmi, J. (2002). Three methods for studying developmental change: a case of reading skills and self-concept. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 72(3), 343–364.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baumert, J., Nagy, G., & Lehmann, R. (2012). Cumulative advantages and the emergence of social and ethnic inequality: Matthew effects in reading and mathematics development within elementary schools? Child Development, 83(4), 1347–1367.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berardi-Coletta, B., Buyer, L. S., Dominowski, R. L., & Rellinger, E. R. (1995). Metacognition and problem solving: A process-oriented approach. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory & Cognition, 21, 205-223. DOI: 10.1024/1421-0185.62.4.251

  • Bollen, K. A., & Curran, P. J. (2006). Latent curve models: a structural equation perspective (Vol. 467). Wiley.

  • Borkowski, J. G., Chan, L. K., & Muthukrishna, N. (2000). A process-oriented model of metacognition: links between motivation and executive functioning. In G. Schraw & J. C. Impara (Eds.), Issues in the measurement of metacognition (pp. 1–42). Lincoln: Buros Institute of Mental Measurements.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brand, S., Opwis, K., Hatzinger, M., & Holsboer-Trachsler, E. (2010). REM-sleep is related to the transfer of implicit procedural knowledge following metacognitive learning. Somnology, 14, 213-220.

  • Brown, A. (1987). Metacognition, executive control, self-regulation, and other more mysterious mechanisms. In Metacognition, motivation, and understanding (pp. 65–116). Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, A. L., Bransford, J., Ferrara, R., & Campione, J. (1983). Learning, remembering, and understanding. In P. H. Musen (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology (Vol. 3, pp. 77–166). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cain, K., Oakhill, J., & Bryant, P. (2004). Children’s reading comprehension ability: concurrent prediction by working memory, verbal ability, and component skills. Journal of Educational Psychology, 96(1), 31–42. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.96.1.31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, M. (2008). Metacognition in the classroom. In J. Dunlosky & R. A. Bjork (Eds.), Handbook of metamemory and memory (pp. 411–427). New York: Psychological.

    Google Scholar 

  • Catts, H. W., Bridges, M. S., Little, T. D., & Tomblin, J. B. (2008). Reading achievement growth in children with language impairments. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 51(6), 1569–1579.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeLucia, C., & Pitts, S. C. (2006). Applications of individual growth curve modeling for pediatric psychology research. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 31(10), 1002–1023. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsj074.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edossa, A. K., Schroeders, U., Weinert, S., & Artelt, C. (2017). The development of emotional and behavioral self-regulation and their effects on academic achievement in childhood. International Journal of Behavioral Development, https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025416687412.

  • Elshout, J. J., & Veenman, M. V. (1992). Relation between intellectual ability and working method as predictors of learning. The Journal of Educational Research, 85(3), 134–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flavell, J. H., & Wellman, H. M. (1977). Perspectives on the development of memory and cognition. In R. V. Kail & J. W. Hagen (Eds.), Metamemory (pp. 3–33). Hillsdale: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ganschow, L., & Sparks, R. (2001). Learning difficulties and foreign language learning: a review of research and instruction. Language Teaching, 34(2), 79–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heller, K., & Perleth, C. (2000). Kognitiver Fähigkeitstest für 4. bis 12. Klassen, Revision (KFT 4–12+ R) [Cognitive capability test for grades 4 to 12; revision].

  • Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. (2010). Tripartite growth trajectories of reading and math achievement: tracking national academic progress at primary, middle, and high school levels. American Educational Research Journal, 47(4), 800–832.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leppänen, U., Niemi, P., Aunola, K., & NURMI, J. (2004). Development of reading skills among preschool and primary school pupils. Reading Research Quarterly, 39(1), 72–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lerkkanen, M.-K., Rasku-Puttonen, H., Aunola, K., & Nurmi, J.-E. (2004). Reading performance and its developmental trajectories during the first and the second grade. Learning and Instruction, 14(2), 111–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2004.01.006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lingel, K., Neuenhaus, N., Artelt, C., & Schneider, W. (2010). Metakognitives Wissen in der Sekundarstufe: Konstruktion und Evaluation domänenspezifischer Messverfahren. Projekt EWIKO.

  • Neuenhaus, N., Artelt, C., Lingel, K., & Schneider, W. (2011). Fifth graders metacognitive knowledge: general or domain-specific? European Journal of Psychology of Education, 26(2), 163–178.

  • Neuenhaus, N., Artelt, C., & Schneider, W. (2013). The Impact of Cross-curricular Competences and Prior Knowledge on Learning Outcomes. International Journal of Higher Education, 2(4). https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v2n4p214.

  • Otto, B., & Kistner, S. (2017). Is there a Matthew effect in self-regulated learning and mathematical strategy application?—assessing the effects of a training program with standardized learning diaries. Learning and Individual Differences, 55, 75–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2017.03.005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paris, S. G. (2002). When is metacognition helpful, debilitating, or benign? In P. Chambres, M. Izaute, & P.-J. Marescaux (Eds.), Metacognition (pp. 105–120). Boston: Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1099-4_8.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Paris, S. G., Lipson, M. Y., & Wixson, K. K. (1983). Becoming a strategic reader. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 8(3), 293–316.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paris, S. G., Wasik, B., & Turner, J. C. (1991). The development of strategic readers. In R. Barr, M. L. Kamil, P. B. Mosenthal, & P. D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (Vol. 2, pp. 609–640). Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parrila, R., Aunola, K., Leskinen, E., Nurmi, J.-E., & Kirby, J. R. (2005). Development of individual differences in reading: results from longitudinal studies in English and Finnish. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97(3), 299–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perry, N. E. (1998). Young children’s self-regulated learning and contexts that support it. Journal of Educational Psychology, 90(4), 715–729.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perry, N. E., VandeKamp, K. O., Mercer, L. K., & Nordby, C. J. (2002). Investigating teacher-student interactions that foster self-regulated learning. Educational Psychologist, 37(1), 5–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pintrich, P. R., Wolters, C. A., & Baxter, G. P. (2000). Assessing metacognition and self-regulated learning. In G. Schraw & J. C. Impara (Eds.), Issues in the measurement of metacognition (pp. 43–98). Lincoln: Buros Institute of Mental Measurements.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pressley, M., Borkwski, J. G., & Schneider, W. (1989). Good information processing: What it is and how education can promote it. International Journal of Educational Research, 13(8), 857–867.

  • R Development Core Team. (2016). R: a language and environment for statistical computing (version 2.13.2). Vienna: R Foundation for Statistical Computing Retrieved from http://www.R-project.org/.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rescorla, L., & Rosenthal, A. S. (2004). Growth in standardized ability and achievement test scores from 3rd to 10th grade. Journal of Educational Psychology, 96(1), 85–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rigney, D. (2010). The Matthew effect: how advantage begets further advantage. Columbia University Press.

  • Rosseel, Y., Oberski, D., Byrnes, J., Vanbrabant, L., Savalei, V., Merkle, E., … Barendse, M. (2015). Package “lavaan”.

  • Schneider, W. (2008). The development of metacognitive knowledge in children and adolescents: Major trends and implications for education. Mind, Brain, and Education, 2(3), 114–121.

  • Schneider, W. (2015). The development of metamemory. In Memory development from early childhood through emerging adulthood (pp. 255–308). New York: Springer.

  • Schneider, W. (1985). Developmental trends in the metamemory-memory behavior relationship:an integrative review. In D.-L. Pressley, G. E. MacKinnon, & T. G. Waller (Eds.), Metacognition, cognition, and human performance (pp. 57–109). Orlando: Academic Press.

  • Schneider, W., & Pressley, M. (1997). Memory development between two and twenty (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ, US: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

  • Schneider, W., Schlagmüller, M., & Visé, M. (1998). The impact of metamemory and domain-specific knowledge on memory performance. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 13(1), 91–103.

  • Schraw, G., & Dennison, R. S. (1994). Assessing metacognitive awareness. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 19(4), 460–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schraw, G., & Moshman, D. (1995). Metacognitive theories. Educational Psychology Review, 7(4), 351–371.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shin, T., Davison, M. L., Long, J. D., Chan, C.-K., & Heistad, D. (2013). Exploring gains in reading and mathematics achievement among regular and exceptional students using growth curve modeling. Learning and Individual Differences, 23, 92–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2012.10.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanovich, K. E. (1986). Matthew effects in reading: some consequences of individual differences in the acquisition of literacy. Reading Research Quarterly, 21(4), 360–407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thorpe, K. J., & Satterly, D. J. H. (1990). The development and inter-relationship of metacognitive components among primary school children. Educational Psychology, 10(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144341900100102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veenman, M. V. J., Wilhelm, P., & Beishuizen, J. J. (2004). The relation between intellectual and metacognitive skills from a developmental perspective. Learning and Instruction, 14(1), 89–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2003.10.004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The study was supported by grants from the German Research Foundation (DFG) to Wolfgang Schneider (Würzburg, SCHN 315/36) and Cordula Artelt (Bamberg, AR 301/8) as part of the DFG priory program SPP 1293 and to the Bamberg Graduate School of Social Sciences under the German Excellence Initiative (GSC1024).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bamberg Graduate School of Social Science (BAGSS), University of Bamberg, Feldkirchenstr. 21, 96052, Bamberg, Germany

    Ashenafi Kassahun Edossa

  2. Department of Educational Research, University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany

    Nora Neuenhaus & Cordula Artelt

  3. Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi), Bamberg, Germany

    Cordula Artelt

  4. Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    Klaus Lingel & Wolfgang Schneider

Authors
  1. Ashenafi Kassahun Edossa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nora Neuenhaus
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Cordula Artelt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Klaus Lingel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Wolfgang Schneider
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ashenafi Kassahun Edossa.

Additional information

Ashenafi K. Edossa. Bamberg Graduate School of Social Sciences (BAGSS), University of Bamberg, FeldKirchenstr. 21, 96052 Bamberg. E-mail: ashenafiedossa@gmail.com/Ashenafi-kassahun.edossa@uni-bamberg.de

Current themes of research:

Self-regulation. Emotional regulation. Behavioral regulation. Metacognition.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

Edossa, A. K., Schroeders, U., Weinert, S., & Artelt, C. (2017). The development of emotional and behavioral self-regulation and their effects on academic achievement in childhood. International Journal of Behavioral Development, https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025416687412.

Nora Neuenhaus. University of Bamberg, Markusstraße 8a, 96045 Bamberg. E-mail: nora.neuenhaus@uni-bamberg.de

Current themes of research:

Development of metacognitive knowledge. Strategy use in reading. Metacomprehension. Computer-based assessment of reading strategies.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

Schneider, W., Lingel, K. Artelt, C. & Neuenhaus, N. (in press). Metacognitive Knowledge in Secondary School Students: Assessment, Structure, and Developmental Change. In D. Leutner, J. Fleischer, J. Grünkorn & E. Klieme (Hrsg.), Competence Assessment in Education: Research, Models and Instruments; Volume __: Methodology of Educational Measurement and Assessment. Heidelberg: Springer.

Neuenhaus, N., Artelt, C., & Schneider, W. (2016, online first). Lernstrategiewissen im Bereich Englisch: Entwicklung und erste Validierung eines Tests für Schüler der frühen Sekundarstufe. /Diagnostika/, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1026/0012-1924/a000171.

Neuenhaus, N., Artelt, C. & Schneider, W. (2013). The Impact of Cross-curricular Competences and Prior Knowledge on Learning Outcomes. International Journal of Higher Education. 2(4), 214-227 doi: https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v2n4p214.

Artelt, C., Neuenhaus, N., Lingel, K. & Schneider, W. (2012). Entwicklung und wechselseitige Effekte von metakognitiven und bereichsspezifischen Wissenskomponenten in der Sekundarstufe. Psychologische Rundschau, 63(1), 18-25.

Neuenhaus, N., Artelt, C., Lingel, K. & Schneider, W. (2011). Fifth graders metacognitive knowledge: general or domain specific? European Journal of Psychology of Education, 26, 163-178.

Cordula Artelt. Leibniz-Institut für Bildungsverläufe e.V., Wilhelmsplatz 3, 96047 Bamberg. E-mail: cordula.artelt@lifbi.de

Current themes of research:

Reading and text comprehension. Metacognition. Methods of large-scale assessment. Assessment of competencies. Teacher judgments.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

Artelt, C. (2016, online first). Teacher Judgments and Their Role in the Educational Process. Emerging Trends in the Social and Behavioral Sciences: An Interdisciplinary, Searchable, and Linkable Resource. Wiley. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118900772.etrds0402.

Artelt, C. & Schneider, W. (2015 online). Cross-Country Generalizability of the Role of Metacognitive Knowledge for Students’ Strategy Use and Reading Competence. Teachers College Record, 117 (1), 010304, 1–32.

Pfost, M., Hattie, J., Dörfler, T. & Artelt, C. (2014). Individual Differences in Reading Development: Reviewing 25 years of Empirical Research on Matthew Effects in Reading. Review of Educational Research, 84 (2), 203–244. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654313509492.

Artelt, C., Weinert, S., & Carstensen, C. H. (Eds). (2013). Assessing Competencies across the Life Span within the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) [Special Issue]. Journal for Educational Research Online, 5 (2).

Artelt, C., Neuenhaus, N., Lingel, K. & Schneider, W. (2012). Entwicklung und wechselseitige Effekte von metakognitiven und bereichsspezifischen Wissenskomponenten in der Sekundarstufe. Psychologische Rundschau, 63 (1), 18-25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1026/0033-3042/a000106.

Klaus Lingel. Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Röntgenring 10, 97070 Würzburg, Germany. E-mail: Email: lingel@uni-Wurzburg.de

Current themes of research:

Metacognition. Mathematics. Educational assessment.

Most relevant publication in the field of Psychology of Education:

Lingel, K. (2016). Metakognitives Wissen Mathematik – Entwicklung und Zusammenhang mit der Mathematikleistung in der Sekundarstufe I [Metacognitive Knowledge on Mathematics—Development and Relation to Mathematics Achievement in Secondary School]. Würzburg: Würzburg University Press.

Wolfgang Schneider. Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Röntgenring 10, 97070 Würzburg, Germany. E-mail: Schneider@psychologie.uni-wuerzburg.de

Current themes of research:

Metacognition. Memory development. Determinants of academic performance.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

Löffler, E., von der Linden, N., & Schneider, W. (2016). Influence of Domain Knowledge on Monitoring Performance across the life-span. Journal of Cognition and Development, 17(5), 765-785.

Schneider, W., Lingel, K., Artelt, C. & Neuenhaus, N. (2017). Metacognitive knowledge in secondary school students: Assessment, structure, and developmental change. In D. Leutner, J. Fleischer, J. Grünkorn & E. Klieme (Eds.), Competence assessment in education: Research, models, and instruments (pp. 285-302). New York: Springer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Edossa, A.K., Neuenhaus, N., Artelt, C. et al. Developmental relationship between declarative metacognitive knowledge and reading comprehension during secondary school. Eur J Psychol Educ 34, 397–416 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-018-0393-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-018-0393-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation