Introduction: The research focused on metacognition in a collaborative learning setting. Based on a comprehensive literature study the researchers designed a metacognitive teaching-learning strategy for pair programmers. Our purpose was to investigate the influence of this metacognitive teaching-learning strategy during pair programming in an educational context on metacognitive awareness. Method: A mixed method research design was used, including two questionnaires, individual interviews, and individual journals. The participants were 67 grade 11 learners who had been implementing pair programming in the learning of Information Technology at secondary school level. The metacognitive teaching-learning strategy was implemented by the experimental group. Results: The results derived from the empirical study showed that the learners in the experimental group, who had implemented the metacognitive teaching-learning strategy while programming in pairs, reported an enhancement in the areas of planning, information management, monitoring and evaluation, with regard to metacognitive awareness. Discussion and conclusion: This research highlighted the importance of a metacognitive teaching-learning strategy when learners are programming in pairs. The findings could do much to advance teaching and learning in computer programming, and to inform future research and practice. The metacognitive teaching-learning strategy implemented during the research was adapted to make it suitable for use by teachers and learners during pair programming.