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MODULE 3: METACOGNITON: THINKING ABOUT THINKING

“If you teach a person what to learn, you are preparing that person for the past. If you teach a person how to
learn, you are preparing that person for the future.”- Cyril Houle

Overview

METACOGNITION:
THINKING ABOUT
THINKING

Metacognition & Metacognitive

Metacognitive
Metacognitive Regulation and
Instruction
Knowledge Control

Metacognitive
Metacognitive
Metacognition Planning Monitoring Evaluating Teaching
Knowledge
Strategies

Metacognitive
Metacognitive
Knowledge
Components
Categories

Declarative Procedural Conditional

Person Variable Task Variable Strategy Variable
Knowledge Knowledge Knowledge

After studying this module, you should be able to:

 identify the metacognitive knowledge required in a specific competency;
 operationalize the metacognitive processes in a given situation;
 explain the fundamental principles in teaching metacognitive skills.

LESSON 1: METACOGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE AND COMPONENTS

METACOGNITION

It is consist of both metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive experiences or regulation. It is simply

“thinking about thinking” and “learning how to learn” (John Flavell, 1979, 1987)

Metacognitive Knowledge. It refers to the consciousness and control of cognitive processes involved in
learning. It is consist of three categories: knowledge of person variables; task variables; and strategy variables.
It also involves metacognitive components, namely: declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and
conditional knowledge. It is also important to note that it is a product metacognitive experiences.

Metacognitive Knowledge Categories

Person Variable. This is about how someone sees himself as a learner and thinker. It includes
awareness of how brain receives and processes information.
 Example, you are aware that you learn easily if you will study by yourself than with a group.

Task Variable. It refers to the awareness of the nature of the task as well as the type of
processing demands that it will require a certain learner.
 Example, you are aware that it is more difficult for you to answer assignments involving numbers
than assignments relating to grammar.

Strategy Variable. It includes knowledge about the strategy/ technique that you will use in order to
learn a lesson effectively.
 Example, if you find English more difficult than Mathematics. You will allocate more time in
studying and reviewing your lessons in English than your lessons in Mathematics. It also
involves meta- attention, the awareness of the strategy to remain focused on the task and
meta- memory, the awareness of the strategy on how to keep the lesson in mind.

Metacognitive Components

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Declarative Knowledge
Procedural Knowledge Conditional Skills
(Personal Knowledge)
(Task Knowledge) (Strategy Knowledge)
Knowledge about:
Knowledge on how to: Knowledge on when:
- things;
- do things; - and why to apply cognitive acts;
- one's own abilities;
- execute skills. - a strategy is appropriate.
- factors affecting one's own performance.

LESSON 2: METACOGNITIVE REGULATION AND CONTROL

Metacognitive regulation and control refers to the ability of the learners to monitor and assess their
learning. It involves three processes: setting goals and planning; monitoring and controlling learning; and
evaluating own regulation.

•The selection of
appropriate strategies
Planning and the allocation of
resources that affet
performance (Schraw,
2002).

•The awareness of one's

Monitoring ongoing awareness of
comprehension and task
performance (Schraw, 2002).

•The assessment of knowledge or

learning. It refers to appraising the
Evaluating products and efficiency of one's
learning (Schraw, 2002).

LESSON 3: METACOGNITIVE INSTRUCTION

Developing metacognitive thinking among students needs the creativity of the teacher. Using
metacognitive strategies facilities how learners learn. As studies have proven, metacognitive teaching practices
enhance the learners’ capabilities to transfer their competencies in learning new task in new context (Palinscar
& Brown, 1984; Schoenfeld, 1991).

Moreover, metacognitive teaching practices make learners aware of their strengths and weaknesses as
they learn. Knowing their strengths give them the confidence to pursue a task. Knowing their weaknesses lead
them to strategize on how to overcome their limited knowledge and how to source out the needed information
for the task (Bulusan et. al).

To effectively develop metacognitive skills among learners, Veenman et al. (2012) recommend three
fundamental principles (please see figure below).

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1. Metacognitive instruction should be embedded in the context of

the task at hand in order to allow for connecting task-specific
condition knowledge (the IF-side) to the procedural knowledge of
"How" the skill is applied in the context of the task (the THEN-side
of production rules)

2. Learners should be informed about the benefit of applying

metacognitive skills in order to make them exert the initial extra
effort.

3. Instruction and training should be stretched over time, thus

allowing for the information of production rules and ensuring the
smooth and maintained application of metacognitive skills.

Metacognitive Teaching Strategies (Bulusan et. al).

 Graphic organizers are visual illustrations displaying the relationships between facts, information,
ideas, or concepts. Through the visual displays, learners are guided in their thinking as they fill in the
needed information. One good example is the KWHLAQ chart, a variant of the KWL chart. It is useful
during the planning, monitoring, and evaluating phases of metacognition.
What do I What do I HOW do I find What have I What ACTION What new
KNOW? WANT to out? LEARNED? will I take? QUESTIONS
know? do I have?

 Think aloud helps learners to think aloud about their thinking as they undertake a task. The learners
report their thoughts while they do it. With the help of a more knowledgeable learner, the errors in
thinking and the inadequacy of declarative, procedural, and conditional knowledge can be pointed out,
giving the learner increased self-awareness during learning.

 Journalizing can be used together with think aloud. In a journal, learners write what was in their mind
when they selected an answer and the reasons for their choice. Later, they write about their realizations
where they were wrong and what should have been considered in answering. Finally, they resolve on
what to do the next time a similar situation/problem arises.

 Error analysis 1s a systematic approach for using feedback metacognitively to improve one's future
performance (Hopeman, 2002). Asking the learners where they are correct and wrong provides
avenues for them to evaluate their thinking. It results in a learner's metacognitive knowledge of own
mistakes and making use of them to improve future performance.

 Wrapper is an activity that fosters learners metacognition before, during, and after a class. In a reading
class, before the selection is read, the teacher asks about the theme of the selection based on the story
title. While reading the selection, learners are asked if their assumptions were true. After reading, the
learners are asked what made them comprehend or not comprehend the story.
 Peer mentoring is a proven metacognitive strategy as many learners learn best when studying with
peers who are more informed and skilled than them. Novice learners, by observing their more skilled
peers, can learn from the metacognitive strategies of their peer mentors. The use of cooperative
learning strategies is helpful toward this goal.

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REFERENCES

Sources: Lucas M.,Corpuz B., (2014). Facilitating Learning: A Metacognitive Process. Lorimar
Publishing Inc., Quezon City, Metro Manila
Bulusan F., Raquepo M., Balmeo M., Gutierrez J., (2019). Facilitating Learner- Centered Teaching.
Sampalok Manila, RBSI

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