Development and validation of a metacognitive assessment tool for Turkish preschool children: A test for 48–66 months‐old

Abstract

This study examines metacognitive monitoring in Turkish preschoolers aged 48–66 months, crucial for their learning and development. A specialised paired‐association task was designed to assess higher‐order thinking skills in this age group. Data from 160 children (52.5% girls, 47.5% boys; mean age 57.6 months, standard deviation 4.8) were analysed. The Metacognitive Thinking Test includes Recall and Judgement sections, where children rate confidence after recall attempts. Factor analysis of the Judgement Part revealed a two‐factor structure with 14 items demonstrating memory‐confidence alignment. The overall test's Cronbach's alpha value is 0.820. Notably, children tended to overestimate inaccurate recollections, aligning with the Dunning–Kruger effect. Despite limitations, the study sheds light on the complex relationship between confidence and accuracy in young children's metacognitive monitoring development, laying the foundation for further research in this area.