Metacognitive Models and Strategies for Solving Mathematical word Problems in Lower Secondary Education

Abstract

Metacognition is essential to successful mathematical word-problem solving because it enables students not only to apply knowledge and procedures but also to plan, monitor and evaluate their own actions. The article systematises major theoretical and instructional frameworks related to metacognitive regulation in mathematical problem solving and discusses their application in grades 5–7. It considers Flavell’s conception of metacognition, Schraw and Moshman’s account of metacognitive regulation, Pólya’s heuristic framework, Garofalo and Lester’s cognitive-metacognitive model, Schoenfeld’s problem-solving framework, and Mevarech and Kramarski’s IMPROVE method. On this basis, a practical set of metacognitive prompts organised around planning, monitoring and evaluation is proposed. The article also develops a conceptual mapping between these frameworks and an author-developed didactic model for solving mathematical word problems through digital visualisation. Results from the pedagogical study show positive progress in the experimental group; however, because metacognitive skills were not measured directly, their development is treated as a theoretically grounded hypothesis that requires targeted empirical verification in future research.