Metacognitive structure of intellectual competence in late adolescence

Qualitative changes mark adolescence in many aspects, in particular in the area of intellectual development. The highest possibilities given by maturation of conceptual and metacognitive abilities and some personal characteristics, which in turn are necessary for productive activity in a particular subject area (intellectual competence) characterize this period. Thus, particular qualities of older adolescents are the basis for the study of intellectual competence in its components (metacognitive abilities). 90 students at the age of 15 (54 girls and 36 boys) of the 9th grade of Moscow schools participated in this study. We used such methods as "Diagnosing the degree of reflexivity technique"; "Matching Familiar Figures Test", and "Interpretation". According to the results of the correlation analysis, such manifestations of metacognitive control as voluntary intelligent control and involuntary intellectual control can describe the structure of intellectual competence. The results indicate the heterogeneity of metacognitive abilities formation or uneven participation of voluntary and involuntary control of mental activity. There is another explanation: more specialized techniques are necessary to identify involuntary control of intellectual activities. Intellectual competence construct requires some acts. They are information monitoring, activity choice, the flow of activity and its results tracking, as well as comparing planned and obtained results. This control is identified in our study on a voluntary level, and on more implicit level involuntary control was not detected. Thus, this study opens up the possibility of studying the intellectual competence manifestations in late adolescence. It will contribute to the development of new diagnostic methods of intellectual competence and its components, in particular to the role of intellectual control research.

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