Comparing high school students Cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies in learning, concerning their ability, field of study, and gender

The present paper is based on a research on the role of students’ cognitive and meta cognitive strategies in learning and field of study. The sample included 2440 high school students of both genders studying in Mathematics, humanities, sciences and vocational (electronics, computer) courses who were selected at two levels based on their highest and lowest average from Khorasan, Ilam, Isfahan and Khoozestan. The achieved results are: the better students who had the highest average used both cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies more than the weaker students. Students studying mathematics, humanities, sciences and vocational courses used cognitive strategies differently but their use of meta cognitive strategies was the same. Girls use two of the cognitive strategies namely reviewing and over generalizing and two of the meta cognitive strategies, namely self control and organizing more than boys but in other strategies they are similar to boys.