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Cited by 745Memory Processes and InfluencesInnovative Teaching and Learning MethodsEducational Strategies and Epistemologies

Metacognitive strategies in student learning: Do students practise retrieval when they study on their own?

Karpicke, Jeffrey D., Butler, Andrew C., Roediger III, Henry L.·2009·Memory
DOI 10.1080/09658210802647009
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Abstract

Basic research on human learning and memory has shown that practising retrieval of information (by testing the information) has powerful effects on learning and long-term retention. Repeated testing enhances learning more than repeated reading, which often confers limited benefit beyond that gained from the initial reading of the material. Laboratory research also suggests that students lack metacognitive awareness of the mnemonic benefits of testing. The implication is that in real-world educational settings students may not engage in retrieval practise to enhance learning. To investigate students' real-world study behaviours, we surveyed 177 college students and asked them (1) to list strategies they used when studying (an open-ended free report question) and (2) to choose whether they would reread or practise recall after studying a textbook chapter (a forced report question). The results of both questions point to the same conclusion: A majority of students repeatedly read their notes or textbook (despite the limited benefits of this strategy), but relatively few engage in self-testing or retrieval practise while studying. We propose that many students experience illusions of competence while studying and that these illusions have significant consequences for the strategies students select when they monitor and regulate their own learning.

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  • College students do not appreciate that retrieval practice helps learning.

    “But if you ask college students, who are fairly sophisticated learners, how to best learn new information, their answers suggest that they do not appreciate this fact (Blasiman et al. 2017, Karpicke et al. 2009, Kornell & Bjork 2007, McCabe 2011).”

    From Practicing Retrieval Facilitates Learning (2021) · cites this paper as Karpicke et al. 2009

  • Other common strategies for new college students are flash cards, recopying notes, and watching video lectures.

    “Other common strategies for new college students are flash cards (Karpicke et al., 2009), recopying notes (Persky and Hudson, 2016), and watching video lectures (Rodriguez et al., 2018).”

    From Moving the Needle: Evidence of an Effective Study Strategy Intervention in a Community College Biology Course (2022) · cites this paper as Karpicke et al., 2009

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Authors
Karpicke, J. D., Butler, A. C., & Roediger III, H. L.
Affiliations
  • Purdue University West Lafayette (US)
  • Washington University in St. Louis (US)
Corresponding author
Karpicke, Jeffrey D.
ORCID
Venue
Memory
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2009-04
Volume
17
Issue
4
Pages
471-479
ISSN
  • 0965-8211 (ISSN-L)
  • 1464-0686
DOI
10.1080/09658210802647009
OpenAlex
W2110065066
Cited by
745
References
10
Citations by year
2026: 28 · 2025: 35 · 2024: 68 · 2023: 67 · 2022: 74 · 2021: 53 · 2020: 71 · 2019: 54 · 2018: 58 · 2017: 40 · 2016: 29 · 2015: 44 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 29 · 2012: 32
FWCI
10.97
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Memory (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Educational Strategies and Epistemologies
Keywords
metacognitive strategies, retrieval practice, self-testing, student self-regulation, metacognitive awareness, study habits, re-reading, long-term retention, university students
MeSH terms
Attitude, Educational Measurement, Humans, Learning, Practice, Psychological, Reading, Mental Recall, Retention, Psychology, Students

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