Don't Just Think, Ponder: Metacognitive Skills Among Engineering Students With and Without Work Placements

Abstract

In today's world engineers need to be equipped with a range of different skills and experiences to succeed. There needs to be a combination of strong levels of metacognition and self-awareness. Nineteen final year mechanical engineering students who completed an industry placement and 20 students who did not took a metacognitive Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS) survey to test their levels of self-reflection and self-awareness. The two groups' results found higher metacognitive skills in the work placement group in all three areas tested: self-reflection, need for self-reflection (self-awareness) and insight. The study suggests that these metacognitive levels could be increased from taking a work placement year Recommendations are offered on how universities can improve the course curriculum to benefit work placement students and non-work placement students.