DUNNING-KRUGER EFFECT IN THE TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW
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Abstract
The teaching and learning process has long been a subject of interest within the academic community. Among the various aspects examined, the impact of metacognitive effects on the quality of this process has gained particular prominence. One such effect is the Dunning-Kruger phenomenon, which refers to the tendency of individuals with low competence to overestimate their own performance, thereby revealing a misalignment between perception and reality that calls for specific and targeted interventions. In this context, the present study aims to analyze the potentialities, techniques, and technologies associated with identifying the Dunning-Kruger effect in educational settings. To this end, a systematic literature review was conducted based on the PRISMA 2020 protocol, including national and international master's theses and doctoral dissertations published in Portuguese and English. The findings show that the phenomenon is widely studied in educational contexts—especially abroad—predominantly through quantitative methods. The most common techniques involve self-assessments combined with objective performance tests, typically analyzed using statistical approaches such as ANOVA and regression. Although some studies explore educational technologies, such as serious games, the direct implementation of technological tools for identifying the effect remains limited. It is concluded that the Dunning-Kruger effect is a significant metacognitive phenomenon within the educational field, offering valuable insights into students' self-perception and academic performance. However, its practical application still lacks technological development and systematic pedagogical strategies to support metacognitive self-regulation.
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Copyright (c). Conjuncture Bulletin (BOCA)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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