Learning Approaches from the Perspective of Metacognitive Awareness and Epistemic Curiosity

This study investigates the impact of high school students' levels of epistemic curiosity and metacognitive awareness on their learning approaches, aiming to address the achievement gap. The Approaches to Learning Scale, Metacognitive Awareness Inventory, and Epistemic Curiosity Scale were administered to 756 students in the 9th and 12th grades. Using a causal-comparative research design (ex post facto research), ordinal logistic regression analysis revealed that both interest-type and deprivation-type epistemic curiosity significantly predicted the deep learning approach at both grade levels (p < .05). While metacognitive awareness significantly predicted deep learning (p < .05), regulation of cognition was not a significant predictor at the 12th-grade level (p > .05). At both grade levels, deprivation-type epistemic curiosity and cognitive control processes were significant predictors of the strategic learning approach (p < .05). However, the analyses on the surface learning approach showed that neither epistemic curiosity nor metacognitive awareness were significant predictors at either grade level (p > .05). These findings offer valuable insights for educators, suggesting that fostering epistemic curiosity and metacognitive awareness can enhance deep and strategic learning approaches, contributing to a reduction in the achievement gap. This study advances our theoretical understanding of learning approaches by demonstrating the complex interplay of cognitive, motivational, and epistemic factors. A key practical implication of this research is the need to design instruction that intentionally cultivates students' curiosity and metacognitive skills. Further research is recommended to explore the interplay of these variables in different educational contexts and to develop interventions that promote effective learning strategies among high school students.