Metacognitive Thinking among University Startup founders: Insights from a Saudi Business Incubator

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Metacognitive thinking, defined as the ability to monitor, evaluate, and regulate cognitive processes, is an important competency for effective decision-making and problem-solving. However, it remains underexplored among university startup founders, particularly within Saudi business incubator contexts. This study examined the level of metacognitive thinking among startup founders benefiting from the university-based business incubator and investigated differences by gender and entrepreneurship program type. A descriptive-analytical design was used with a random sample of 27 university startup founders (14 males and 13 females). Data were collected using a demographic and startup information form and a validated Metacognitive Thinking Scale covering three dimensions: knowledge of cognition, regulation of cognition, and cognitive processing. The scale demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .89; Spearman–Brown = .86). Data were analyzed using SPSS, including descriptive statistics, normality testing, and independent-samples t-tests. Findings indicated a high overall level of metacognitive thinking (M = 4.33, SD = 0.50), with no statistically significant differences by gender or entrepreneurship program type (p > .05). These findings suggest comparable metacognitive thinking levels across participant groups and highlight the importance of integrating explicit metacognitive training into university entrepreneurship education and business incubation programs