How a metacognitive approach to teaching and learning can support teachers and children

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Anoara Mughal is the author of the book Think!: Metacognition-powered Primary Teaching. Here Anoara explains what metacognition is, the connection between metacognition and self-regulated learning, how teachers can reflect on their own metacognition, and how they can support children’s motivation and deepening learning by teaching metacognitive strategies.

 

Metacognition is the detailed examination and evaluation of thought processes and cognitive potential, which helps people to be in a better position to take control of their learning as they read, write and solve problems. Metacognition can also be seen as a bridge between knowledge and critical thinking and problem-solving.

Having a metacognitive approach can be beneficial in both supporting teachers and children to reach their potential. Research indicates that metacognition is a powerful predictor of maths performance at age 6. A Finnish study found that ‘metacognition at age 3 was directly predictive of mathematics performance at age 6, and indirectly predictive of rate of growth maths performance between ages 3 and 6 (largely through its effect on counting ability)’ (Aunola et al, 2004; cited by Muijs, D. and Bokhove, C. 2020).

The fundamental belief is that metacognition and self-regulated learning are crucial to learning thereby raising attainment, and some studies have confirmed that self-regulated learning, and certainly metacognition, has considerable effect on ‘pupil academic performance on top of ability or prior achievement. There is also a moderate correspondence between metacognitive skills and intelligence,’ ( Veenman & Spaans (cited in Veenman et al., 2006) ; cited by Muijs, D. and Bokhove, C. 2020).

Metacognitive thinking, although it appears to come naturally to some children and is largely dependent on adult input in the early years, can tail off if not taught explicitly in the classroom. It is therefore important to develop self-regulated learning in the classroom.

Self-regulation and self-regulated learning can be developed through the following three strands:

Cognitive strategies: cognition is the mental action or process acquiring knowledge or understanding through thoughts, senses and experiences. Some examples are rehearsal, reviewing, retrieval practise and spacing.

Metacognitive strategies: monitoring and regulating learning, such as planning, deciding which strategies will be effective, monitoring the success of the learning, and changing course based on that assessment.

Motivation (social-emotional strategies, which is to do with regulating motivation and relationships with others): some examples are delayed gratification, developing self-efficacy and asking for help (Zimmerman, 1990; Veenman et al, 2006; Ardasheva et al, 2017; cited by Muijs, D. and Bokhove, C. 2020).

How having a metacognitive approach to teaching can support teachers

There have been studies indicating that teachers’ own self-regulated learning and metacognition had an unequivocal influence on pupil attainment (Heller et al, 2012; cited by Muijs, D. and Bokhove, C. 2020). There is a stronger correlation between teachers’ own self-regulated learning and pupil learning when teachers focus on a number of areas of self-regulated learning and metacognition.

Reflective Practice

Classrooms are very busy places where millions of decisions are made throughout the day. However, taking a metacognitive approach can be beneficial to both teachers and pupils. Teachers enter the classroom with a range of experiences of their own schooling and learning, therefore understanding ourselves as learners is crucial when developing metacognition in our pupils. One way of taking a metacognitive approach is through reflective practice.

Reflective practice doesn’t necessarily come naturally to all teachers, but it can be developed by considering learning from different perspectives. Let us consider the four lenses of reflection, which are: self-reflecting, the pupil lens, the 360-degree lens and the life-long learning lens.

The self-reflecting lens is a way of critically reflecting on one’s own practice by standing back and viewing an experience objectively. It helps to develop self-awareness of pedagogy; it enables the identification of strengths and areas to develop.

Viewing teaching practice through pupil feedback allows us not only to critically engage with pupil feedback, but the feedback may highlight areas of teaching practice which could be modified, thereby improving our self-efficacy.

The 360-degree lens is an important lens to engage with. Seeking mentoring from peers, seeking their advice and reflecting on their feedback is what moves teaching practice from good to excellent. The benefits of this are multi-fold: obtaining feedback from peer perspectives allows us to check in on ourselves, reassess and become open to new ideas and approaches, thereby developing more of a growth mindset. At the same time, it can be very reassuring. By developing an awareness of the commonalities of the challenges in teaching, it helps us to improve our teamworking skills.

The life-long learning lens develops critical reflective teaching through the analysis of research and theories. When reflecting through the 360-dgree lens and the life-long learning lens, it enables us to elucidate the contexts in which we teach. Reading around teaching promotes better comprehension and helps us to value teaching and learning practices. It also fosters links between our personal and professional development and the broader educational context.

Advantages of Reflective Practice

Reflective practice is a way that teachers can meeting the individual learning needs of all pupils. It helps us to make better informed decisions and actions which can be easily justified and explained to others. Another benefit is that it helps us to change direction if something is not working and identify, focus and respond to learning issues and break down barriers to learning. As learners ourselves, it helps us to develop an awareness of our own beliefs and assumptions about teaching and learning, thereby enabling us to create a more equitable environment.

How having a metacognitive approach to teaching can support children

Research finds that a metacognitive approach can improve pupil progress and attainment by seven months for free-school meal pupils and disadvantaged pupils (EEF Guidance on Metacognition and Self-regulated Learning 2018). ‘Adequate level of metacognition may compensate for pupil’s cognitive limitations’ (Veenman, Wilhelm & Beishuizen, 2004 cited by Muijs, D. and Bokhove, C. 2020). Fostering a metacognitive approach can support pupils in other areas of learning too.

Teaching metacognitive strategies explicitly can help develop language capability in all areas of learning by helping pupils to transfer what they have learnt from one context to the next, or from a previous task to a new task, thereby practising and embedding key vocabulary. The teacher can support this by explaining how what has been learnt from one task can be applied to the next.

Developing metacognition and self-regulated learning can help filter out unnecessary information, which is a very important skill to have at the moment as the world is changing at an enormous speed and we are continually being bombarded with information. Being able to filter out information can lead us to develop insights, as we begin to then focus on what is important.

Having a metacognitive approach to teaching can improve behaviour because it helps the teacher shift and redirect attention to where it is required in the learning. It helps pupils refocus their attention should they find it wandering. It can also be used to promote teacher neutrality, where the focus for behaviour is shifted from the child to the task in hand; this can be highly motivating for pupils. Motivation in turn leads to improved confidence, which then impacts on memory, and progress and attainment.

Deepening Learning

One of the key principles underpinning the development of metacognitive strategies is challenge. Learning should be a challenge. When pupils receive that right amount of challenge, it helps to develop reflection, which is crucial in developing metacognition and self-regulated learning. Exploring areas of difficulty and difference enables pupils to develop deeper thought processes required to critically evaluate their learning.

Group efficacy can also be developed through the dialogical teaching element of metacognition and learning becomes deepened and embedded. Pupils improve their teamworking and prosocial skills and this leads to them becoming socially interdependent.

In summary metacognitive strategies enable novice pupils to journey from knowing knowledge to critical thinking and helps them to use the knowledge to solve problems and to reason. This helps to embed learning deeply and helps to develop big ideas and schemas of deeper learning, which improves memory. It is the missing puzzle piece for effective learning.

 

References

Aunola, K., Leskinen, E., Lerkkanen, M.-K. and Nurmi, J.-E. (2004) ‘Developmental dynamics of math performance from preschool to grade 2’, Journal of Educational Psychology, 96(4), pp. 699–713.

Cambridge Assessment (2019) Metacognition. Cambridge: University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES).

Muijs, D. and Bokhove, C. (2020) Metacognition and self-regulation: evidence review. London: Education Endowment Foundation.

New South Wales Government (n.d.) Reflective practice. Available at: https://education.nsw.gov.au (Accessed: 11 April 2023).

Quigley, A., Muijs, D. and Stringer, E. (2018) Metacognition and self-regulated learning: guidance report. London: Education Endowment Foundation. Available at: https://bit.ly/2WkeeB1 (Accessed: 11 April 2023).

Soodla, P., Jogi, A.-L. and Kikas, E. (2017) ‘Relationships between teachers’ metacognitive knowledge and students’ metacognitive knowledge and reading achievement’, European Journal of Psychology of Education, 32(2), pp. 201–218.

Veenman, M.V.J. and Spaans, M.A. (2005) ‘Relation between intellectual and metacognitive skills: age and task differences’, Learning and Individual Differences, 15(2), pp. 159–176.

Veenman, M.V.J., Wilhelm, P. and Beishuizen, J.J. (2004) ‘The relation between intellectual and metacognitive skills from a developmental perspective’, Learning and Instruction, 14, pp. 89–109.

Veenman, M.V.J., Van Hout-Wolters, B.H.A.M. and Afflerbach, P. (2006) ‘Metacognition and learning: conceptual and methodological considerations’, Metacognition and Learning, 1(1), pp. 3–14.