Students lack metacognitive awareness of the benefits of errorful learning: the three learning groups did not differ in perceived competence, judgments of learning, or rated method effectiveness even after tests¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r3 · q3 · i0 negligible
Currency · newest study 2026 · checked against its sources 2026-10-19 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i0 The three groups did not differ in perceived competence, JOL+ ratings, or post-test method effectiveness ratings. → Sarah Shi Hui Wong 2026

Evidence¶

Sarah Shi Hui Wong 2026¶

Sarah Shi Hui Wong. (2026). Deliberate erring improves scientific reasoning: Learning experimentation skills by intentionally designing invalid experiments. Instructional Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-026-09819-x

q3 · i0 · negligible, η² ≤ .01 · causal · r3

Null result from the randomized experiment (N = 276): after the intervention, the groups showed no differences on the 3-item perceived competence scale or six higher order judgments of learning; even after completing all four tests, the groups "did not differ in how effective they perceived their learning method to be, F(2, 273) = 0.02, p =.98, ŋ2 <.001". The printed effect sizes are small (η² = .01 for perceived competence, .002 for JOL+ ratings, < .001 for method effectiveness); equivalence was not tested.

"the three learning groups neither differed in their mean perceived competence ratings, F(2, 273) = 1.19, p =.31, ŋ2 =.01, nor mean JOL+ ratings, F(2, 273) = 0.21, p =.81, ŋ2 =.002."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Metacognition — outcome: instruction changes it
• Self-Efficacy — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• Both errorful learning methods (self- and other-generated invalid designs) improve near transfer of experimental design principles more than errorless practice, and self-generated deliberate errors yield the best near transfer — related
• Learners misjudge which learning strategies are effective — a broader claim this one bears on
• Self Assessment Accuracy Is Low Without Training — related
• Fluent Illusions Mislead Self Assessment — related
• Both errorful learning methods produce better negative knowledge (anticipation of problem-specific design errors) than errorless practice, with no difference between self- and other-generated errors — related
• Knowing what not to do does not suffice for knowing what to do: spot-explain-fix improved design critique and error anticipation but produced weaker near and far transfer than deliberate erring and no far-transfer advantage over errorless practice — related
• Making JOLs is not a neutral act: metacognitive ratings reactively affect subsequent learning, so experiments need judgment-free conditions — related