Training metacognitive skills in an upper-secondary school: feasibility and preliminary outcomes

Abstract

This thesis evaluated the feasibility and preliminary psychological outcomes of a school-based metacognitive skills course for upper-secondary students. The study was conducted in a real-world school setting using a controlled longitudinal design with two 11th-grade classes. One class participated in a four-month metacognitive skills training course, while the other served as a control group. Students completed questionnaires at baseline, immediately after the course, and at a six-month follow-up. Outcomes included emotion regulation skills, metacognitive self-regulation processes, psychological well-being, and growth mindset. Feasibility was assessed through recruitment and retention, and preliminary outcome changes were analysed using linear mixed-effects models. Recruitment was promising, with 43 of 52 eligible students providing valid baseline data. Retention was moderate across measurement occasions. Preliminary analyses did not show clear intervention-related improvements in the main psychological outcomes. Although some changes were observed over time, these were not consistently specific to the intervention group. Overall, the findings suggest that a metacognitive skills course can be implemented and studied in an upper-secondary school context. However, the small sample size, non-randomized class-level design, attrition, and measurement limitations prevent strong conclusions about effectiveness. The study should be interpreted primarily as a feasibility study informing future research.