Metacognitive Differences between Traditional-Age and Nontraditional-Age College Students

Abstract

This study investigated aspects of metacognition and motivation that may distinguish the learning processes of adults in higher education from those of traditional-age students. Developmental changes in metacognitive and motivational variables and their relationship to course performance were examined for traditional-age (18-23 years) and nontraditional-age (24-64 years) male and female college students, who completed self-report measures of study skills, motivation, and memory ability. Older students reported more use of two higher level study strategies: generation of constructive information and hyperprocessing. Negative correlations, especially for male students, were found between reported use of several strategies and midterm course performance. Developmental changes in the efficiency of strategy use and the lack of a match between strategy use and the type of course assessment are discussed as possible explanations for these findings. Findings of the study suggest that educators in higher education will need to respond pedagogically to differences in the motivation and learning processes of nontraditional students.