Making sense of how I learn: Metacognitive capital and the first year university student

Abstract

The retention and engagement of students entering universities globally has been a significant priority area in higher education over the last decade in alignment with a widening participation agenda. Research focusing on the successful transition of first year students has been widespread and contributed to the current body of knowledge focusing on best practices in engaging first year students. This paper focuses on a factor of significant and growing importance in this context: critical thinking. We argue that students who are not equipped with sufficient metacognitive capital when entering university are at increased risk of attrition. Further, we suggest some possible avenues for intervention.