Category: Information about Metacognition

Supporting thinking about thinking: examining the metacognition theory‑practice gap in higher education

This study investigated higher education academics’ familiarity with both aspects of metacognition, knowledge of cognition and regulation of cognition, as well as their incorporation of metacognitive supportive practices (MSPs) in their courses. The authors conclude that “despite extensive investigation of metacognition in the literature, academics are broadly unfamiliar with metacognition and did not explicitly include it in their teaching.”  This paper also includes a table summarizing MSPs grouped according to their theoretical alignment with metacognition constructs, and shares data showing the prevalence of their use.

Dennis, J. & Somerville, M. (2023). Supporting thinking about thinking: examining the metacognition theory‑practice gap in higher education. Higher Education. Vol 86: 99-117. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00904-x


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Welcome to Improve with Metacognition!

Metacognition is the use of reflective awareness to make timely adjustments (self-regulation) to behaviors that support a goal-directed process (e.g. learning, teaching, driving, cooking, writing).

Through metacognition, one should become better able to accurately judge one’s progress, and select and engage in strategies that will lead to success.


Metacognition and Learning: Conceptual and Methodological Considerations

This is the first issue of the new international journal Metacognition and Learning. Journal provides “A kaleidoscopic view on research into metacognition.” It is a great introduction to metacognition and includes ten issues “Which are by no means exhaustive.”

Metacognition and Learning, 2006, Volume 1, Number 1, Page 3. Marcel V. J. Veenman, Bernadette H. A. M. Hout-Wolters, Peter Afflerbach

Metacognition and Learning: Conceptual and Methodological Considerations


Making sense of how I learn: Metacognitive capital and the first year university student

By Lodge and Larmar, This article focuses on how significant it is to encourage metacognitive processing as a means of increasing student retention, enhancing university engagement and lifelong learning.

Larmar, S. & Lodge, J. (2014). Making sense of how I learn: Metacognitive capital and the first year

university student. The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, 5(1). 93-105. doi:

10.5204/intjfyhe.v5i1.193

Lodge and Larmar article


Habits of Mind

by Arthur L. Costa, Ed. D. (Professor Emeritus, California State University, Sacramento). This paper summarizes 16 attributes of what human beings do when they behave intelligently, referred to as Habits of Mind.  Metacognition is the 5th mentioned (see a nice summary of all 16 on the final page). Dr. Costa points out that these “Habits of Mind transcend all subject matters commonly taught in school. They are characteristic of peak performers whether they are in homes, schools, athletic fields,organizations, the military, governments, churches or corporations.”


A review of research on metacognition in science education: current and future directions

In an extremely comprehensive meta-analytic review, Zohare and Barsilai (2013) analyzed 178 studies of metacognition in science education (mainly K-12). They identified several key trends and made suggestions for future research. One of their findings was that the use of metacognitive cues was the most common metacognitive intervention for learning science content.  For more information, please see the reference below.

Zohar, A., & Barzilai, S. (2013). A review of research on metacognition in science education: Current and future directions. Studies in Science Education, 49(2), 121-169. doi:10.1080/03057267.2013.847261


Promoting Student Metacognition

by Kimberly D. Tanner

This article starts out with two student scenarios with which many faculty will easily resonate (one student with poor and one with good learning skills), and which help make the case for the need to incorporate metacognitive development in college courses. Kimberly then shares some activities and a very comprehensive list of questions that instructors might ask students to answer regarding the planning, monitoring and evaluating of their own learning. While Kimberly makes a point of teaching metacognition within the disciplines, these questions are all generic enough to be used in any discipline. Of note in this article, there is a section that discusses metacognitive instruction, and includes a series of questions that faculty should ask of themselves as they plan, monitor and evaluate their teaching.

CBE—Life Sciences Education; Vol. 11, 113–120, Summer 2012

https://www.lifescied.org/doi/full/10.1187/cbe.12-03-0033


Promoting general metacognitive awareness

This informative article by Gregory Schraw begins with a distinction between knowledge of cognition and regulation of cognition (lots of great references included), continues with a a discussion of generalization and a summary of some additional research that examines the relationship between metacognition and expertise (cognitive abilities), and finishes with several strategies that instructors can use to develop both metacognitive awareness and regulation.

http://wiki.biologyscholars.org/@api/deki/files/87/=schraw1998-meta.pdf 


Webinar Slides: From ‘Student’ to ‘Informed Consumer’ of Learning

by Ed Nuhfer and Karl Wirth

http://www.calstate.edu/itl/documents/ITLFeb72014EN_KW_final.pdf

This very informative and useful set of webinar slides (supported by the CSU Institute for Teaching and Learning) starts with a discussion of metadisciplines, pointing out that “A realization that arises from becoming educated: every metadiscipline offers a valuable way of knowing.” Following that, the presenters discuss three types of learning (knowing, skills and reasoning), and assert that “Ideally, a curricula should help students become mindful of how to distinguish the three and how to learn all three effectively.” They present data showing that most courses in reality emphasize knowledge, followed by skills, and have very little emphasis on developing reasoning. They then propose that metacognition is a means by which to help develop reasoning, and share some specific metacognitive tools and some data that indicate the usefulness of incorporating these tools into our courses.


Metacognition distinguishes Good from Great Learners

In the thought-provoking blog post, Why Good Students Do “Bad” in College: Impactful Insights by Leonard Geddes, he discusses why a large percent of good students in college do not live up to their potential. In this post, he makes the statement that “metacognition is where good students and great learners differ most. In fact, research shows that students who are not metacognitively aware will struggle in college (Caverly D.C., 2009).” He goes on to share a couple great resources to help students develop their metacognitive abilities.