BSED Major in Social Studies 2

Metacognition

Metacognition refers to the process of "thinking about thinking" or "learning how to learn." It involves higher-order thinking, allowing individuals to be actively aware and in control of their cognitive processes while learning. The concept was coined by John Flavell in 1979 and 1987 and consists of two main components:

1. Metacognitive Knowledge: This is the knowledge acquired about cognitive processes, which allows individuals to understand how these processes work and use that understanding to control and improve their cognitive strategies.

2. Metacognitive Experiences or Regulation: This involves actively monitoring, evaluating, and regulating one's cognitive activities during learning to ensure optimal performance.

In summary, metacognition equips learners with the ability to reflect on their learning processes and apply strategies that improve their understanding and retention of information. It plays a key role in enhancing the efficiency of learning by fostering awareness and control.

Three Categories of Metacognitive Knowledge:

Knowledge of Person Variables

Knowledge of Task Variables

Knowledge of Strategy Variables

Person Variables:

Includes how one views oneself as a learner and thinker.

Knowledge about how human beings learn and process information.

Individual knowledge of one's own learning processes.

Task Variables:

Knowledge about the nature of the task and the type of processing demands it will place on the individual.

Involves knowing what needs to be accomplished, gauging its difficulty, and understanding the kind of effort it will require.

Strategy Variables:

Involves awareness of the strategy you are using to learn a topic and evaluating whether this strategy is effective.

If the strategy is not working, consider various strategies and try one to see if it helps you learn better.

Meta-attention refers to the awareness of specific strategies that help you keep your attention focused on the topic or task.

Meta-memory is your awareness of memory strategies that assist in improving memory and recall.

According to Ormrod, in the practice of metacognition:

Knowing the limits of one's learning and memory capacities is important.

Knowing what learning tasks can realistically be accomplished within a certain amount of time is essential.

Knowing which learning strategies are effective and which are not is crucial for successful learning.

Planning an approach to learning strategies helps process and learn new material.

Monitoring one’s knowledge and comprehension ensures understanding.

Using effective strategies for the retrieval of previously stored information aids in retention.

Knowledge is metacognitive if purposefully used to ensure a specific goal is met.

Questions Related to Metacognition: Huitt believes metacognition includes the ability to ask and answer the following types of questions:

What do I know about this subject, topic, or issue?

Do I know what I need to know?

Do I know where I can go to get more information or knowledge?

How much time will I need to learn this?

What strategies and tactics can I use to learn this?

Did I understand what I just heard, read, or saw?

How will I know if I am learning at an appropriate rate?

How can I spot an error if I make one?

How should I revise my plan if it is not meeting my expectations or satisfaction?

Metacognitive Strategies to Facilitate Learning: Fang and Cox showed that metacognitive awareness was evident in preschoolers and students as young as eight years old. Students have the capacity to reflect on their characteristics as learners (self-knowledge), the tasks they are required to do (task knowledge), and the strategies they can use to learn (strategic knowledge). Metacognition involves knowledge and skills that both you and your students can learn and master.

Novice and Expert Learners: Expert learners employ metacognitive strategies in learning. They are aware of their learning processes as they read, study, and solve problems. They monitor their learning and consequently adjust their strategies to make learning more effective.

Differences Between Novice and Expert Learners:

Knowledge in Different Subject Areas: Novice learners have limited knowledge in various subject areas. Expert learners have deeper knowledge because they look for interrelationships in the things they learn.

Problem Solving: Novice learners are often satisfied with just scratching the surface and hurriedly provide a solution to the problem. Expert learners first try to understand the problem, look for boundaries, and create a mental picture of the problem.

Learning/Thinking Strategies: Novice learners tend to employ rigid strategies that may not be appropriate for the task at hand. Expert learners design new strategies that are more suitable for the task.

Selectivity in Processing: Novice learners attempt to process all the information they receive. Expert learners are more selective, focusing on important information and breaking it down into manageable chunks.

Production of Output: Novice learners often do not examine the quality of their work and do not stop to make revisions. Expert learners check for errors and redirect their efforts to maintain quality output.

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