Metacognition: A Transformative Approach to Improving Retention of Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing and First Generation STEM Majors

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This project is improving the retention of undergraduate majors in science, engineering, and computer science, through a focused approach on developing student metacognitive ability. The target population includes a large proportion of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students and first-generation (FG) college students, both of whom attend the proposing institution in disproportionate numbers and underperform relative to the general student population. For example, DHH and FG students are more likely to fail a course in their first year (81% vs. 58%) and have lower 4-year retention rates (47% vs. 63%). The intellectual merit of the project lies in its grounding in the literature of the learning sciences, which supports the project's plan to focus on developing students' ability in and practice of metacognition so as to transform their approach to learning. In so doing this approach complements existing content-oriented tutoring programs and other interventions, and addresses fundamental issues that lead students to struggle. The project is exercising broader impact by serving as a model for other institutions that seek to use such a focus on improving metacognition to improve student learning. That this particular project also holds promise to have an impact on a significant number of DHH and first-generation college students only adds value to the project's impact.