Metacognition
B.Ed. Teaching Notes
Prepared by
SABARISH-P
M.Sc., M.Ed.,NET
Lecturer in Physical Science, Arafa Institute for Teacher Education
Attur, Thrissur.
Introduction
Metacognition
is an important aspect of teaching and learning. It is one of the foundation
upon which students may become independent learners. The term metacognition has
its origin from the Greek work meta
and the Latin word cognition. Meta
means higher or beyond, and cognition means thinking. Hence, by derivation,
metacognition means higher order thinking. The term metacognition is introduced
be Flavell in 1979, to refer to one’s
knowledge concerning one’s own cognitive process or anything related to
them.
Cognition and Metacognition
The
concept of cognition is an underpinning basis for understanding metacognition.
When an individual thinks, the mental operation used is called cognition.
Cognition is having the intellectual capacity to reason about information and
to learn something about and retain all or part of that information.
Metacognition
has been defined as “thinking about thinking” and is a complex form of
higher-order thinking. It is defined as ‘cognition
about cognition’, or ‘Knowing about
knowing’. Metacognition involves the ability to think about own cognitions,
and to know how to analyze, to draw conclusions, to learn from, and to put into
practice what has been learned. Cognition and metacognition differ in that
cognition is necessary to execute a task while, while metacognition, is
necessary to understand how the task was executed.
Definitions of Metacognition
Ø According
to Flavell, ‘metacognition is an
individual’s knowledge of their own cognitive processes and their ability to
control these processes by organizing, monitoring and modifying them as a
function of learning.’
Ø Everson defines
metacognition as the ‘awareness individuals have of their own mental processes
and the subsequent to monitor, regulate, and direct themselves to a desired end’.
Ø Mayer defined
metacognition as ‘knowledge and awareness of one’s own cognitive processes’.
Shortly,
thinking about one’s own thinking is metacognition. It refers to learners’ automatic
awareness of their own knowledge and their ability to understand, control, and
manipulate their own cognitive processes. It is the ability for one to control
own thoughts.
Characteristics of Metacognition
Metacognition refers to a level of
thinking that involves active control over the process of thinking that is used
in learning situations. The following are its important characteristics:
1. It
is a higher order thinking which involves active control over the cognitive
process engaged in learning.
2. It
involves awareness and self-regulation of one’s learning processes.
3. It
includes an awareness and understanding of how one thinks and uses strategies
during reading and writing.
4. It
involves knowing how to learn.
5. It
consists of two basic processes occurring simultaneously: monitoring one’s
progress as he learns, and making changes and adapting one’s strategies if he perceives
he is not doing so well.
6. It
is concerned with self-reflection, self-responsibility and initiative, as well
as goal setting and time management.
7. It
involves active control over the cognitive process that is used in learning
situations.
Components
of Metacognition
Metacognition
is often regarded as a multidimensional concept. However, researchers agreed to
divide it into two constructs:
1) Metacognitive
knowledge and
2) Metacognitive
control and regulation.
1) Metacognitive knowledge (metacognitive
awareness) : It refers to what individuals know about
themselves and others as cognitive processors. It includes at least three
different kinds of metacognitive awareness: declarative, procedural, and
conditional knowledge.
Declarative knowledge refers to knowing
"about" things. Procedural knowledge refers to knowing
"how" to do things. Conditional knowledge refers to knowing the
"why" and "when" aspects of cognition
a) Declarative
knowledge: Declarative knowledge includes knowledge
about oneself as a learner and about what factors influence one's performance.
b) Procedural
knowledge: Procedural knowledge refers to knowledge
about doing things.
c) Conditional
knowledge: Conditional knowledge refers to knowing
when and why to use declarative and procedural knowledge. For example,
effective learners know when and what information to rehearse.
Conditional
knowledge is important because it helps students selectively allocate
their resources and use strategies more effectively. Conditional
knowledge also enables students to adjust to the changing situational
demands of each learning task.
2)
Metacognitive control and regulation: It is the regulation of cognition and learning
experiences through a set of activities that help people control their
learning Research supports the assumption that metacognitive regulation
improves performance in a number of ways, including better use of attention
resources, better use of existing strategies, and a greater awareness of
comprehension breakdowns.
According
to Schraw & Dennison (1994) regulation
is divided into planning, information
management, monitoring, debugging, and evaluation;
four essential skills are included in all accounts: planning, monitoring, and
evaluation.
a) Planning:
Planning
involves the selection of appropriate strategies and the allocation of
resources that affect performance. Examples include making predictions before
reading, strategy sequencing, and allocating time or attention selectively
before beginning a task.
Eg: a. What is the nature of the task?
b. What is my
goal?
c. What kind of
information and strategies do I need?
d. How much time will I need?
b) Monitoring:
Monitoring
refers to one's on-line awareness of comprehension and task performance. The
ability to engage in periodic self-testing while learning is a good example.
Eg: a. Do I have a clear understanding?
b. Am I reaching
my goals?
c. Do I need to make changes?
c) Evaluating:
Evaluating
refers to appraising the products and efficiency of one's learning. Typical
examples include re-evaluating one's goals and conclusions.
Eg: a. Have I reached my goals?
b. What worked?
c. What did not work?
d. What would I do differently next time?
There are two main points to
emphasize about knowledge of cognition and regulation of cognition. The first
is that the two are related to one another.
The
second is that both components appear to span a wide variety of subject areas
and domains - that is, they are domain-general in nature.
In
summary, metacognition consists of knowledge and regulatory skills that are
used to control one's cognition.
Importance of Metacognition
Metacognition is an important aspect
of student learning. It involves self regulation, reflection upon an
individual’s performance strengths, weaknesses, learning and study strategies.
The task of education is to acknowledge, cultivate, exploit and enhance the
metacognitive capabilities of all learners. Metacognition, or awareness of the
process of learning, is a critical ingredient to successful learning. The following
are the important role of metacognition in learning.
1. Because
metacognition plays a critical role in successful learning, it is important to
study metacognitive activity and development to determine how students can be
taught to better apply their cognitive resources through metacognitive control.
2. Metacognition
helps readers monitor and control their comprehension on an ongoing and adjust
their reading strategies to maximize comprehension.
3. This
is the process where the student takes conscious control of the learning. The
learner thinks about how he is thinking in a congnitive sense. For example, the learner is using metacognition
if he realizes that he is having more trouble learning how to complete a
fraction problem than a multiplication problem.
4. Metacognition
is the foundation upon which students become independent readers and writers.
It also underlies students’ abilities to generalize math problem solving
strategies.
5. Metacognition
motivates the learner. It will also help him to maintain motivation to complete
a learning task.
6. It
helps the learner to advance in a planned manner in his learning activities.
7. It
reduces mental fatigue, helps the learner in effective memorization and longer
retention.
8. It
helps the learner to set priorities, manage time and effective utilization of
resources.
9. Metacognitive
strategies will help the learner to gain confidence and become more independent
as learners.
10. Thinking
of one’s own cognition will assist him in planning the way to approach a learning task,
monitoring comprehension, and evaluating the progress towards the completion of a task.
11. Students
who demonstrate a wide range of metacognitive skills perform better on exams
and complete work more efficiently.
12. Individuals
with a high level of metacongnitive knowledge
and skill identify blocks to learning as early as possible and
change “tools” or strategies to ensure
goal attainment.
13. Metacognition
enables the learners to monitor and direct their own learning processes.
14. It
helps the learner to become a person who has
learned to learn
Metacognitive Strategies for Successful
Learning
Strategies for promoting
metacognition include
1) Self-questioning
(e.g., what do I already know about this topic? How have I solved
problems like this before?),
2) Thinking
aloud while performing a task, and making graphic representations (e.g., concept
maps, flow charts, semantic webs) of one’s thoughts and knowledge.
Normally
three levels of metacognitive strategies can be adopted for effective learning.
They are:
1. Awareness:
(a) Consciously identify what you already know (b) Define the learning goal (c)
Consider your personal resources (textbooks, computers, access to the library, access
to a quiet study area) (d) Consider the task requirements (essay test, multiple
choice, etc.) (e) Determine how your
performance will be evaluated (f) Consider your motivation level (g) Determine
your level of anxiety
2. Planning
: (a) Estimate the time required to
complete the task (b) Plan study time
into your schedule and set priorities (c) Make a check what needs to happen when (d)
Organize materials (e) Take the necessary steps to learn by using
strategies like outlining, mnemonics,
diagramming, etc.
3. Monitoring
and Reflection: (a) Reflect on the learning process, keeping track of what works
and what doesn’t work for you (b)
Monitor your own learning by questioning and
self-testing (c) Provide your own feedback (d) Keep concentration and
motivation high.
Conclusion
The study of metacognition has provided
educational psychologists with insight about the cognitive processes involved
in learning and what differentiates successful students from their less
successful peers. It also holds several implications for instructional
interventions, such as teaching students how to be more aware of their learning
processes and products as well as how to regulate those processes for more effective
learning.
Reference
Arjunan N.K. (1999) Psychological bases of
education. Palakkad: Yuga publications
Flavell, J. H. (1979). Metacognition and
cognitive monitoring: A new area of cognitive-developmental inquiry. American
Psychologist, 34, 906-911.
Roberts,
M. J., & Erdos, G. (1993). Strategy selection and metacognition.
Educational Psychology, 13, 259-266.
