DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A METACOGNITIVE ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR TURKISH PRESCHOOL CHILDREN: A TEST FOR 48-66 MONTHS-OLD

This study addresses the assessment of metacognitive monitoring in Turkish preschool children, a critical aspect of their learning and development. A specialized paired-association task was designed to create an assessment tool targeting higher-order thinking skills in this demographic. Out of 190 participants aged 48 to 66 months, gathered from three preschools in Ankara, Turkey, the data analysis centered on 160 children, excluding those with missing or incomplete responses. The Metacognitive Thinking Test’s Judgment Part (Jp) underwent factor analysis, revealing a two-factor structure with 14 items demonstrating memory-confidence alignment. Notably, children tended to overestimate inaccurate recollections, aligning with the Dunning-Kruger effect. Despite limitations, the study offers valuable insights, shedding light on the intricate relationship between confidence and correctness in metacognitive development among young learners. This research lays the groundwork for future investigations in this domain.