Enhancing scientific discovery learning through metacognitive support

• Metacognitive support had a positive impact on immediate conceptual knowledge gain.
• Three weeks later students with metacognitive support still showed a greater amount of gained knowledge than students without metacognitive support.
• The actual use of a cognitive strategy (CVS) was promoted by metacognitive support.
• Learning emotions were positively influenced by metacognitive support.
• The relation between learning emotions and cognitive load was clearly negative.

Using a virtual physics lab, we analyzed the impact of metacognitive support on simulation-based scientific discovery learning (SDL). The dependent variables for learning outcome were the immediate conceptual knowledge gain and the retained conceptual knowledge three weeks later. Additional dependent variables were the actual use of a domain-specific cognitive strategy, motivation, emotions, and cognitive load. To contrast the effects of metacognitive support with possible effects of goal specificity, the experimental study followed a 2 × 2 design with a sample of N = 129 ninth grade students and with metacognitive support (yes vs. no) and learning goals (specific vs. nonspecific) as factors. The results showed positive effects of metacognitive support on learning outcome, on actual cognitive strategy use, and on learning emotions. No interaction effect of metacognitive support and goal specificity on learning outcome was observed.