Personality traits as predictor of metacognitive skills and creativity in electronic university students: a structural model of academic achievement

Abstract

Purpose

The present study aimed to present a structural model of the relationships between personality traits, metacognitive awareness, creativity and academic achievement in virtual students.

Design/methodology/approach

The statistical population of the study consisted of all students of the electronic Islamic Azad University in Tehran, where 240 of them were selected as sample group by random sampling method. Research instruments included the short form of the Creative Behavior Inventory (Linger), the Metacognitive Awareness Questionnaire (Schraw and Dennison) and NEO Personality Inventory (McCrae and Costa). Data were analyzed using LISERL software and the path analysis method.

Findings

The findings indicated a mediating role of metacognitive awareness and creativity in the relationship between extraversion, openness to experience and conscientiousness personality traits with academic performance. It was also found that metacognitive awareness has a direct, significant positive effect on creativity.

Originality/value

According to the results of the present study, the level of creativity in virtual students can be developed through training and strengthening meta-cognitive skills. The findings also suggest that meta-cognition and creativity are traits that can have intrinsic and personality roots.

Citation

Abedini, Y. (2022), "Personality traits as predictor of metacognitive skills and creativity in electronic university students: a structural model of academic achievement", Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 1340-1354. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-03-2021-0088