Role of Metacognitive Skills and Student Engagement in Enhancing Mathematics Performance among High School Learners: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Metacognitive skills and student engagement play crucial roles in enhancing mathematics performance among high school learners. This systematic review examines the metacognitive skills, student engagement, and mathematics performance of high school learners. Using the PRISMA methodology, a comprehensive search of the ERIC database with relevant keywords yielded 363 studies, which were screened and assessed for eligibility without duplicates. After full-text appraisal, 12 studies were included. The findings demonstrate that metacognitive regulation (planning, monitoring, evaluation) combined with multidimensional student engagement drives significant improvements in math achievement, with quantitative studies (10/12) showing consistent positive correlations. The review highlights the global relevance of these factors despite limited Philippine evidence (2/12 studies), emphasizing strategic self-regulation and behavioral/emotional/cognitive engagement as key mechanisms. These results provide evidence-based recommendations for educators to integrate metacognitive training and engagement strategies, particularly needed in under-researched local contexts like the Philippines. This review underscores the interplay of metacognitive and engagement factors as essential for high school math success and advocates for targeted interventions, including explicit strategy instruction and Philippine-specific research to bridge evidence gaps.