Metamemory and Memory Performance in Belgian and Canadian Elementary School Children: A Comparative Study

The authors investigated the influence of different educational approaches on metamemory and memory performance and their relationship. Canadian and Belgian children in grades four, five, and six were compared on these measures. Belgian children scored higher than Canadian children on metamemory limited to knowledge of common memory problems; however, no difference was found between the two groups in memory performance. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. With advancing grades, knowledge of strategies was the aspect of metamemory showing significant improvement. The relationship between metamemory and memory performance was significant only at the grade four level.