what is metacognition?
knowledge about our own thinking processes
consists of the cog tasks you face + the strategies needed to cope with those tasks + the skills involved in applying those strategies
involves 3 kinds of knowledge: declarative, procedural & self regulatory
declarative, procedural & self regulatory knowledge in metacognition
Declarative: knowledge abt urself as a learner, the factors that influence ur learning/memory, & the skills/strategies/resources needed to perform a task = knowing what to do
Procedural knowledge or knowing how to use the strategies
Self-regulatory knowledge: to ensure the completion of the task - knowing the conditions (when/why) to apply the procedures and strategies
what are the 3 essential metacognitive skills?
Planning = deciding time, strategies, how/where to start, resources, order, etc.
Monitoring = the real-time awareness of “how I’m doing.”
Evaluating = making judgements about the processes and outcomes of thinking and learning
individual differences in metacognition
People differ in how well & easily they can use MC strategies
Some diffs are the result of development
- As children get older, they become more able to exercise executive control over strategies – e.g. become more able to determine if they have understood instructions
Some diffs are caused by diffs in biology or learning experiences
learning strategies
LS = a special kind of procedural knowledge – knowing how to approach learning tasks
Can be cognitive (summarizing identifying main ideas), metacognitive (monitoring comprehension) or behavioral (setting a timer to work until time’s up)
what are the 5 principles related to learning strategies & study skills?
- Students must be exposed to a no. of diff strategies – both general learning & very specific for particular subjects
- Students should be taught self-regulatory knowledge about when, where & why to use various strategies
- Students may know when & how to use a strategy, but unless they develop the desire to employ these skills, general learning ability will not improve
- Students need to believe that they can learn new strategies, that the effort will pay off, & that they can ‘get smarter’ by applying these strategies
- Students need background knowledge & useful schemas in the area being studied to make sense of learning materials
self-regulated learning
views learning as skills & will applied to analyzing learning tasks, setting goals + planning how to do the task, applying skills, & making adjustments about how learning is carried out
influenced by knowledge, motivation & volition
how does knowledge influence SR learning
To be SR learners, students need knowledge about themselves, the subject, the task, strategies for learning & the contexts in which they will apply their learning
- “Expert” students know about themselves and can reflect on their own learning processes
- Both content knowledge and self-knowledge play an important role in whether students will be self-regulated
how does motivation influence SR learning
Motivation influences the degree to which students regulate their own learning
- Students who demonstrate greater interest in an activity = better at regulating themselves in that activity
- Motivational beliefs also influence SR – e.g., students who have higher self-efficacy for managing their tasks = more effective SR strategies & perform better in school + believe their own intelligence & abilities are improve-able
- Those who believe in their capabilities can better focus their attention & other cog & emotional resources for the task at hand
how does volition influence SR learning?
will-power: students need volition to overcome the resistance from a conflict between 2 desired outcomes
- influenced by the individual’s level of perceived control for the given task – more likely to exercise volitional control when they have experience in sticking w tasks to reach their goals
- Is deliberate & effortful but can become more automatic
2 concepts related to volition: self-control & grit
what are the 3 key executive functions that underlie successful SR
- inhibitory control (resisting impulsive urges)
- working memory
- cog flexibility (seeing something from diff perspectives)
- Are necessary for the SR required to solve complex probs
- Exec functions are impaired under conditions of stress, poor health or emotional turmoil
- Enhanced when learners are relaxed, healthy & feel a sense of connectedness to others + when activities are challenging
what are the 2 social processes that support the development of SR
Co-regulation = a transitional phase: students gradually appropriate self-regulated learning & skills through modeling, direct teaching, feedback & coaching
Shared regulation = students & teachers working together to regulate each other through reminders, prompts & other guidance
Zimmerman’s 3-phase model of SR learning (social-cog model)
phase 1: forethought
- set clear, reasonable goals and plan a few strategies for accomplishing those goals
phase 2: performance
- performing brings new challenges, repertoire of self-control and learning strategies
phase 3: reflection
- looking back on performance and reflecting on what happened
- In all 3 phases: there is self-observation, self-evaluation & self-reaction
- Each phase flows into the next & the cycle continues as students encounter new learning challenges
Meichenbaum’s cognitive behavior modification
focuses on self-talk to regulate behavior
Students are taught how to use self instruction using 5 steps:
- Cog modelling: adult model performs a task while talking to themself out loud
- Overt, external guidance: child performs the same task under the direction of the model’s instruction
- Overt self guidance: child performs the task while instructing themself aloud
- Faded, overt self guidance: child whispers the instructions to themself as they go through the task
- Covert self instruction: child performs the task while guiding their performance via private speech
designing classrooms for SR
- involve students in complex, meaningful tasks that extend over long periods of time
- give students some control over their learning processes & products
- give students some control over the difficulty of the task
- involve students in setting criteria for evaluation + allow them to reflect on progress
- shared regulation: allow students to work collaboratively
- teachers must co-regulate the task
