This study evaluated how integrating metacognitive instructional approaches affects the academic performance of Senior Secondary II physics students in Taraba State, Nigeria. Using a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest control group design, researchers selected 200 students (117 male, 83 female) from a target population of 5,361 learners. Primary data were gathered using a 50-item Physics Performance Test with a reliability coefficient of 0.87. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that learners instructed using metacognitive techniques achieved significantly higher scores than those taught with conventional methods (ANCOVA showed a significant treatment effect, (1,197) =370.293, p<.001, Partial η²=.653). The experimental group recorded a mean score improvement of 13.83, demonstrating a substantial enhancement in their grasp of physics concepts. Additionally, the research found the metacognitive strategy to be highly gender-friendly, yielding no significant performance variations between male and female participants (F(1, 112) = 1.004, p =.32 > 0.05, Partial η²=.009). Given these inclusive and highly positive outcomes, the researchers strongly recommend that the Ministry of Education organize workshops to equip physics educators with the necessary skills to effectively implement these teaching methods in their classrooms.