Metacognition
Definition and Scope
Metacognition, a term coined by John Flavell, means "thinking about thinking" or "learning how to learn." It involves higher-order cognition whereby individuals consciously monitor and regulate the mental processes they employ during learning.
Components of Metacognition
Metacognition contains two interrelated parts: (1) metacognitive knowledge—what one knows about cognition—and (2) metacognitive experiences/regulation—the ongoing monitoring and control of cognitive activity.
Categories of Metacognitive Knowledge
Flavell identifies key knowledge categories.
Person variables – Insights into how people learn and one’s own strengths, limits, and preferences as a learner.
Task variables – Understanding the nature, demands, and difficulty of a given task so appropriate effort can be allocated.
Strategy variables – Awareness, selection, and evaluation of learning strategies. Included are meta-attention (focusing strategies) and metamemory (memory strategies).
Key Practices (Ormrod)
• Recognising the limits of one’s memory and learning capacity.
• Judging what tasks are achievable within given timeframes.
• Knowing which strategies work and planning their use.
• Monitoring comprehension and deciding when learning is sufficient.
• Employing efficient retrieval strategies to access stored knowledge.
Knowledge is metacognitive when purposefully applied to achieve a goal.
Self-Questioning Framework (Huitt)
Effective learners habitually ask:
What do I already know? Do I know the next step? Where can I find information? How much time will this take? Which strategies suit this task? Did I understand what I just encountered? Am I progressing appropriately? How do I detect and correct errors? How should I revise the plan if it fails?
Development in Learners
Research shows metacognitive awareness emerges in preschoolers and children as young as . Many, however, need explicit instruction and encouragement to apply it consistently.
Teaching Strategies to Foster Metacognition
• Guide students to monitor their own thinking.
• Teach study strategies explicitly.
• Encourage predictions about upcoming content.
• Help learners link new ideas to prior knowledge.
• Promote question generation and timely help-seeking.
• Demonstrate transfer of knowledge and skills across tasks.
Novice vs Expert Learners
A crucial distinction between novices and experts lies in metacognitive proficiency.
Novices – Possess limited subject knowledge, rush to superficial solutions, rely on rigid strategies, and attempt to process all information indiscriminately.
Experts – Hold deeper, interconnected knowledge, analyse problems thoroughly, devise task-specific strategies, and selectively process important information, continually monitoring and adjusting their approach.