Simply put, metacognition is thinking about thinking. It is being aware of, and taking time to analyse, our thinking.
There are two parts to metacognition – Knowledge and Awareness.
Metacognitive knowledge is what learners know about learning: What am I good at remembering? What do I find more difficult to understand? What strategies can I find to help me to comprehend better, faster etc?
Metacognitive regulation is what learners do about learning: This learning strategy is not really working for me, what else can I try?
Former teacher, and co-author of Fear is the Mind Killer: Why Learning to Learn deserves lesson time Dr James Mannion, says,
“I think metacognition is the most important idea in education by miles... it is the way you escape from your current programming and habits; notice the patterns you are in and take a different course of action.”
“Learning how to learn and understanding the way we think and learn has always been a central part of our provision at LCIS, whether in our Primary Learning Goals, our Secondary Core Competencies or Theory of Knowledge in the IB Diploma,” says Mr Andy Puttock, Principal. A recent PSHE day (personal, social, health and economic education) for our years 7-11 was on exactly this topic. It covered a wide range of metacognitive tasks helping students identify their learning styles, become aware of strengths and weaknesses, find strategies for resilience, ways to overcome learning difficulties, and more.
Developing metacognition creates a resilient, problem-solving, can-do mindset that not only helps learning but also supports general well-being throughout life.
According to the Education Endowment Foundation in England metacognitive strategies can help children make an estimated eight months’ additional progress in their learning over the course of a year.
Parents can help their children to use and develop these metacognitive skills by asking open, thoughtful questions about their child’s day, such as ‘what did you enjoy today?’ rather than the standard ‘how was your day?’
Watch this explainer video about Metacognition from the Education Endowment Foundation.
Listen to a podcast from the IB about Metacognitive Skills
