Metacognition and Attitude as Predictors of Conceptual Understanding in Physics: A Complementary Approach

Background: Complementary approach provides an opportunity for students to connect pre-class, in-class, and post-class activities. Objectives: This study examined the correlations and predictive effects of metacognition and attitude on learners' conceptual understanding in physics using a complementary approach. Method: A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest, non-equivalent control group design was used. A sample of 173 natural science students from two Ethiopian secondary schools was randomly assigned to experimental (CAIM instruction) and control (traditional teaching) groups. Data were collected using FCCUT, MCQ, and LAS instruments and analyzed via Pearson correlations and hierarchical multiple regression at p = 0.05. Results: The two variables showed positive and statistically significant correlations with students' conceptual understanding of physics: metacognition (r = 0.30) and attitude (r = 0.31), p < 0.01. Further, both metacognition (R² = 0.15, f² = 0.08) and attitude (R² = 0.16, f² = 0.10), ΔR² = 0.08, p < 0.001, predicted 8% of the varience in conceptual understanding when CAIM was employed. Conclusion: We recommend that physics teachers could apply the CAIM when teaching physics, as it allows students to develop a positive correlation between the predictor variables and conceptual understanding, though their correlations are moderate.