Metacognitive Skills in Driving

Abstract

Better knowing subjects' learning processes in driving entails knowing the strategies they adopt to acquire such learning. Sound metacognition knowledge as a fundamental learning strategy through the metacognitive skills (MS) that individuals use to drive allows us to further extend information on subjects' hard and complicated driving activity. Research was conducted with drivers (N=313) that measured their metacognitive skills, and their type and way of driving. The results showed significant differences between drivers who use more metacognitive skills and those who use them less frequently, despite both groups describing their type and way of driving as good and safe, which may not be true for those who employ fewer metacognitive skills. Finally, those drivers (N=82; 26.20%) who obtained a higher score for their way/type of driving, and who displayed sound MS, represented less than one third of the drivers in our study sample. To conclude, we found a profile for drivers who believe that their way of driving is suitable, and they classify their driving as good despite the differences found in use of MS (before, during and after driving). We conclude the need to implement training programs in metacognitive skills to improve driving.