Problem solving capability is a complicated interaction between cognition and meta-cognition. Perhaps the basic
source of trouble in problem solving is that the students can not actively watch, check and regulate the cognitive
process they encounter upon solving the problems (Artzt & Armour-Thomos, 1992). Flavell (1971) developed the
concept of storage of input, intelligent structuring and retrieval activity, notion of intelligent checking, and called
such knowledge as generally a kind of “meta-memory” (p. 227). Meta-cognition is a persons' knowledge about his
or her own cognitive processes and products. It is also active checking, following regulations and assessment of
cognitive activities (Flavell, 1979). Brown (1987) divided meta-cognitive into two main categories: knowledge of
cognition and regulation of cognition.
Knowledge of cognition is the information that is fixed, uncertain, late developing that human thinkers have as
objects of consideration. Regulation of cognition is the activities used to check and monitor learning. These
activities consist of planning activities (predicting outcomes, setting time strategies, and different forms of indirect
trial and error, etc.) before solving the problems; checking activities (monitoring, testing, revising and resetting
one’s strategies for learning) in the process of learning and controlling outcomes (assessing the outcomes of
strategic actions with the criteria of effectiveness and efficiency).