Relationship between Metacognitive Learning Strategies, Goal Orientation, and Test Anxiety among Students at Birjand University of Medical Sciences

Background: Academic achievement of students in the fields of medical sciences is influenced by several factors, including cognitive learning strategies, goal orientation, and test anxiety. We aimed to assess the relationship between metacognitive learning strategies, goal orientation, and test anxiety. Methods: The statistical population of this descriptive and analytical study was 2621 students studying at Birjand University of Medical Sciences. The sample size was calculated to be 335 according to Krejcie and Morgan’s table and determined via stratified-randomized sampling method. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) was used to collect data which consisted of 47 items on cognitive learning strategies, goal orientation, and test anxiety. Data were analyzed using independent t, Pearson’s correlation, and ANOVA tests. Results: The results showed a significant, negative correlation between the dimensions of metacognitive learning strategies and test anxiety as well as a significant, positive association between the dimensions of metacognitive learning strategies and goal orientation (P 0.05). There was a significant difference between test anxiety mean scores of male and female students, while there was no significant difference between the mean values of goal orientation and test anxiety in terms of faculty and student age (P 0.05). Conclusion: According to the results, metacognitive learning strategies and goal orientation are two contributory factors to reduction of test anxiety in students.