Trends and effectiveness of metacognitive strategies in chemistry learning: A systematic review

Metacognitive strategies have gained increasing attention in chemistry education as a means to enhance students’ ability to plan, monitor, and evaluate their learning processes. These strategies are considered essential in promoting deeper understanding, critical thinking, and independent learning, particularly in complex scientific domains such as chemistry. This study aims to systematically review the trends, instructional models, psychological dimensions, and assessment methods associated with the use of metacognitive strategies in chemistry learning over the past decade. The primary objective is to identify which pedagogical approaches and supporting factors most effectively foster students’ metacognitive development. Adopting a systematic review methodology, this research follows the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) protocol. A total of 50 peer-reviewed articles published between 2014 and 2024 were analyzed, sourced from the Scopus and Google Scholar databases. The inclusion criteria focused on studies that explicitly addressed metacognitive skills within the context of chemistry learning and employed validated assessment instruments. Findings reveal that Project-Based Learning (PjBL) emerges as the most frequently utilized instructional model, followed by Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and structured problem-solving strategies. Key psychological factors influencing the effectiveness of metacognitive strategy implementation include emotion regulation, personal resilience, learning autonomy, and self-scaffolding, with emotion regulation having the most pronounced impact. Regarding assessment, non-test instruments—such as structured observations, reflective journals, and student questionnaires—are favored due to their ability to capture dynamic learning processes and internal reflections more effectively than conventional tests. The study contributes to the ongoing discourse on educational innovation by providing a comprehensive overview of effective practices and proposing directions for future research and instructional design in chemistry education.