Empirical evidence for the existence and uses of metacognition in computer science problem solving

We describe the second phase of an ongoing study whose aims are to explore how computer science students solve problems and to understand the relationship between metacognition and schemata. This research uses verbal protocols from computer science students, and based on the analysis of their transcripts, empirical evidence supports metacognition as a significant role in computer science problem solving. For the problem solved in this research, the students reveal a pattern in their interactions between metacognitive processes and the domain-specific strategies used to develop a program.