Correcting Epistemic Passivity in Undergraduate Cohorts: A Scaffolded Metacognitive Intervention Framework for Large-Enrollment STEM Lecture Environments

Abstract

Epistemic passivity — the tendency of undergraduate students to consume disciplinary knowledge without critically interrogating its provenance or limitations — represents a structurally underaddressed challenge in large-enrollment STEM lecture pedagogy. This study examined the efficacy of a five-stage Scaffolded Metacognitive Intervention Framework (SMIF) implemented across three consecutive academic semesters at two research-intensive universities (n = 847). Using a quasi-experimental pre–post design, we assessed shifts in students' metacognitive awareness, epistemic self-regulation, and active knowledge construction via validated instruments including the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory and the Epistemic Beliefs Inventory. Results demonstrated statistically significant gains in self-regulatory behavior (p < 0.001, d = 0.71) and a measurable reduction in surface-level processing strategies. Implications for curriculum redesign, instructor professional development, and scalable formative assessment protocols are discussed.