The Relationship Between Academic Anxiety, Metacognition, and Academic Achievement

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dc.contributor.advisorWilcox, Gabrielle
dc.contributor.authorFlorentine, Rebecca
dc.contributor.committeememberMcMorris, Carly
dc.contributor.committeememberSchroeder, Meadow
dc.date2024-07
dc.date.accessioned2023-10-26T17:03:33Z
dc.date.available2023-10-26T17:03:33Z
dc.date.issued2023-10-23
dc.description.abstractTransitioning into a self-regulated learning environment poses challenges for many first-year undergraduates, leading to higher anxiety and decreased academic functioning. Previous research consistently found harmful effects of anxiety on academic outcomes, while metacognition was found to increase performance. However, no consensus was found on the relationship between metacognition and anxiety. Thus, this study explores the relationships between metacognition, academic anxiety, and achievement with the aim of clarifying the role of metacognition as a mediator between academic anxiety and performance. Using the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI), Academic Anxiety Inventory (AAI), and self-reported GPA scores gathered from undergraduates (N = 128), regression analyses were conducted. Results indicate that higher general trait anxiety predicts lower academic achievement and increased metacognitive awareness, specifically declarative knowledge. Surprisingly, increased declarative knowledge also predicts lower achievement, while metacognitive strategy use does not predict performance. This unexpected finding may be attributed to students’ inaccurate and negative perceptions of their own metacognition and capabilities as a learner due to the shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, declarative knowledge partially mediates the relationship between trait anxiety and achievement, suggesting that metacognition acts as a secondary process to counter automatic anxious thoughts. In essence, highly anxious individuals may tend to fixate on their shortcomings, which can overwhelm their cognitive capacity and lead to a decline in their academic achievements. Therefore, improving metacognitive skills and accuracy can promote student well-being and academic success.
dc.identifier.citationFlorentine, Rebecca. (2023). The relationship between academic anxiety, metacognition, and academic achievement (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1880/117437
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgary
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectmetacognition
dc.subjectdeclarative knowledge
dc.subjectacademic anxiety
dc.subjecttrait anxiety
dc.subjectacademic achievement
dc.subject.classificationEducational Psychology
dc.titleThe Relationship Between Academic Anxiety, Metacognition, and Academic Achievement
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineEducation Graduate Program – Educational Psychology
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudentI do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.
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