Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.
The primary purpose of all levels of education is to prepare students for their future personal and professional lives and become contributing members of society. It is achieved both through the transference of knowledge and the development of various skills and competencies. One such skill is metacognition, which can be broadly defined as understanding and knowledge of ones cognition. This paper addresses the importance and advantages of developing metacognition in K-12 and higher education students.
Metacognition is an essential skill for students in any stage of education. The concept of metacognition traditionally encompasses two components: metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive awareness (Wirzal et al., 2022). These components are related to different aspects of understanding the thinking and its integration into practice. Metacognitive knowledge concerns information gathered from interaction with the environment, including declarative, conditional, and procedural knowledge (Wirzal et al., 2022). Meanwhile, metacognitive awareness refers to knowledge control, motivation, and the ability to reflect on the thinking process and ones approach to it (Bessy & Knouse, 2020; Wirzal et al., 2022). Overall, this component refers to individuals being aware of how they think and implementing different strategies for distinct tasks, including planning, information management, monitoring, and evaluating the methods employed. It is imperative that teachers help students develop both metacognitive knowledge and awareness in order for them to learn how to learn as well as be able to apply metacognition in other areas of their lives.
Effective teachers working in the K-12 system and tertiary education can implement several approaches to foster the development of metacognition in students. According to McGuire (2021), metacognitive learning strategies can be effortlessly introduced and taught to students regardless of their learning level resulting in significant advancements in their academic performance. Without introducing metacognitive strategies and teaching students how to learn, they may stick to learning strategies that may not be efficient. The introduction to metacognition and the use of metacognitive strategies can be given at any stage of education and begin with simple activities that are seamlessly incorporated into the classroom (McGuire, 2021). Specifically, when assigning tasks and assessing results, teachers should include such steps as evaluating the pupils metacognitive processes and teaching them to actively use metacognitive strategies. For example, teachers can ask students to describe the steps in completing a task and the rationale behind them, share their thinking, and facilitate discussions about their reasoning (Ozturk, 2020). Overall, verbalization and discussion of the process of solving a problem enable the development of metacognition and draw their attention to the existence of different metacognitive strategies.
Facilitating self-assessment in students helps them develop metacognition and achieve better academic outcomes. As the evaluation of ones own actions, metacognitive self-assessment allows students to reflect on their performance, determine what strategies were efficient, and how to improve further. Ozturk (2020) notes that self-assessment helps students develop and master independence in strategic planning and gain confidence. Furthermore, self-evaluation allows students to test their decision-making ability and behavior, as well as develop control over their thinking and cognitive operations (Ozturk, 2020). For example, after homework discussion, teachers can ask students about their preparation, perception of the assignments before and after completion, utilized strategies, and emotional experiences when completing the task to facilitate self-assessment (Escobar, 2021). Thus, teachers can seamlessly incorporate self-assessment into their classrooms and enhance students metacognition ability.
Furthermore, the development of self-regulation in students contributes to enhancing metacognition as a skill. According to Escobar (2021), self-regulation is an active and constructive process that allows students to understand and control their behaviors and can help improve metacognition. Meanwhile, Eggers et al. (2021) consider metacognition a distinct self-regulating strategy. Teachers can facilitate the development of self-regulation and metacognition by asking students to set short-term and long-term goals, monitoring their progress, and encouraging them to make adjustments if needed. Additionally, effective teachers should introduce students to different experiences that help support their self-monitoring (Escobar, 2021). Overall, self-regulation contributes to the development of metacognition as to enact, manage, and modify different learning strategies students are forced to think about their way of thinking and approaches to learning.
In summary, metacognition, as a process of thinking about ones cognition, is a highly valuable skill that teachers should strive to develop in their students regardless of the stage of education. Effective teachers can introduce reflection, self-assessment, and self-regulation activities into the classroom in order to compel students to think about their thinking, learning strategies, and approaches to different tasks. Reflection on the steps taken during the task allows students to identify and define the mental actions dominant in their strategy to acquiring knowledge and understanding of the world. Meanwhile, by asking students to evaluate their performances, teachers promote awareness of efficient and inadequate strategies and behaviors, highlighting the importance of forming control over ones cognitive operations. Incorporating self-regulation practices under teachers direction and supervision further supports the development of metacognition by fostering control over their thinking. Overall, teachers can utilize various practices and exercises to cultivate metacognition in students.
References
Bessy, M., & Knouse, S. (2020). Metacognition, metalinguistic awareness, and relevance in language learning: A report on an intervention module project. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 14(2), 110. Web.
Eggers, J. H., Oostdam, R., & Voogt, J. (2021). Self-regulation strategies in blended learning environments in higher education: A systematic review. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 175192. Web.
Escobar, A. C. (2021). Enhancing self-regulation and metacognition in online learning. Education in Childhood, 114. Web.
McGuire, S. Y. (2021). Close the metacognitive equity gap: Teach all students how to learn. Journal of College Academic Support Programs, 4(1), 6972. Web.
Ozturk, N. (2020). The instrument of teaching metacognition in reading classrooms: The ITMR. International Journal of Assessment Tools in Education, 7(3), 305322. Web.
Wirzal, M. D., Halim, N. S., Md Nordin, N. A., & Bustam, M. A. (2022). Metacognition in science learning: Bibliometric analysis of last two decades. Jurnal Penelitian dan Pengkajian Ilmu Pendidikan: e-Saintika, 6(1), 4360. Web.
Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.