Metacognition and Human Performance Improvement

An understanding of the uses of meta-cognition provides a powerful tool toward developing quality and efficiency in task learning and performance. Metacognition is the executive controller of cognitive processes responsible both for self regulated learning and work performance outcomes. Comprehension monitoring and motivation are two prime components of metacognition which are responsible for commitment to, and definition of, goals, monitoring progress toward goals, and activating the appropriate thinking skills to achieve goals. Specific thinking skill categories of attention, organization, and elaboration are described with examples of how specific techniques in each category can optimize learning and job performance. Research on training of metacognitive skills through both detached and embedded skill-development programs is reviewed. In addition, ways to compensate for metacognitive skills when training is not cost-effective are described. The relationship between metacognitive skills and effective management of work performance is stressed.     

Goal orientations and metacognitive skills of normal technical and normal academic students on project work

In 2000, the Singapore Ministry of Education launched Project Work (PW) to encourage the application of knowledge across disciplines, and to develop thinking, communication, collaboration and metacognitive skills. This preliminary findings of a large scale study examines the role of goal orientations (achievement goals and social goals) in predicting metacognition and enjoyment in project work of Secondary Two Normal Technical (NT, less academically inclined students) and Normal Academic (NA) students. Both achievement goals and social goals are significant predictors of metacognition and enjoyment of PW. NA students adopt more mastery approach and performance avoidance goals than NT students whilst NT students tend to value more social approval from others. Implications of the findings will be discussed with practical suggestions to help teachers design successful PW for the less academically inclined students.     

Differences in Metacognitive Regulation in Introductory Biology Students: When Prompts Are Not Enough

Strong metacognition skills are associated with learning outcomes and student performance. Metacognition includes metacognitive knowledge—our awareness of our thinking—and metacognitive regulation—how we control our thinking to facilitate learning. In this study, we targeted metacognitive regulation by guiding students through self-evaluation assignments following the first and second exams in a large introductory biology course (n = 245). We coded these assignments for evidence of three key metacognitive-regulation skills: monitoring, evaluating, and planning. We found that nearly all students were willing to take a different approach to studying but showed varying abilities to monitor, evaluate, and plan their learning strategies. Although many students were able to outline a study plan for the second exam that could effectively address issues they identified in preparing for the first exam, only half reported that they followed their plans. Our data suggest that prompting students to use metacognitive-regulation skills is effective for some students, but others need help with metacognitive knowledge to execute the learning strategies they select. Using these results, we propose a continuum of metacognitive regulation in introductory biology students. By refining this model through further study, we aim to more effectively target metacognitive development in undergraduate biology students.     

From the general to the situated: three decades of metacognition

This paper discusses the notion of metacognition, which is usually defined as ‘cognitions about cognitions’, or ‘thinking about one's own thinking’. In so doing, it reviews the literature on metacognition over the past three decades, listing different definitions of the term and identifying diverse origins of processes metacognitive. Aspects of the nature of metacognition are discussed, highlighting some of its important yet problematic dimensions, and the potentially positive impact metacognition can have on the learning process is addressed. The paper also relates metacognition to the broader area of general thinking skills and discusses the appropriateness of practising metacognition with primary school children. The paper concludes with a synopsis of research in the outcomes of metacognition, in general, and in science education, in particular, highlighting recent interest in blending metacognitive thinking with science subject matter. Directions for research in science education with an interest in metacognition are also proposed.     

元认知驱动的多媒体英语视听教学模式

听力技能训练和语言文化知识培养并重是多媒体视听课堂教学的主要教学理念。文章依据对英语专业多媒体视听课堂教学特点的分析,探讨元认知驱动的可理解输出在英语专业多媒体视听课堂教学中的作用。认为元认知驱动的多媒体英语视听教学模式不仅可以有效地调动学习者的主动学习兴趣,还可以培养学习者自觉反思听力技能和主动构建新知识的学习习惯。     

Reconsidering Personal Epistemology as Metacognition: A Multifaceted Approach to the Analysis of Epistemic Thinking

One of the central unresolved conceptual issues that concerns researchers of personal epistemology is the characterization of the intersection between personal epistemology and metacognition. The contested and diverse nature of both constructs makes untangling their connections a complex yet vital task. The purpose of this article is to advance the discussion regarding this intersection by offering a theoretical approach that may serve as a basis for analyzing epistemic thinking and aligning it with current views of metacognition. Based on a synthesis of theoretical and empirical studies, we argue that epistemic thinking is a multifaceted construct with both cognitive and metacognitive aspects. Furthermore, we propose that epistemic metacognition includes several aspects such as metacognitive skills; metacognitive knowledge about persons, strategies and tasks; and metacognitive experiences. The theoretical, methodological, and instructional implications of this approach are explored.     

Promoting general metacognitive awareness

I describe two aspects of metacognition, knowledge of cognition and regulation of cognition, and how they are related to domain-specific knowledge and cognitive abilities. I argue that metacognitive knowledge is multidimensional, domain-general in nature, and teachable. Four instructional strategies are described for promoting the construction and acquisition of metacognitive awareness. These include promoting general awareness, improving self-knowledge and regulatory skills, and promoting learning environments that are conducive to the construction and use of metacognition.     

Metacognitive skills in Belgian third grade children (age 8 to 9) with and without mathematical learning disabilities

This paper presents a study on mathematical problem solving in third-grade pupils. The relationship between mathematics, metacognition and intelligence was investigated in children with (n = 191) and without mathematical learning disabilities (n = 268). A significant relationship was found between prediction, evaluation, intelligence, procedural and mathematical fact retrieval skills in children without mathematical learning disabilities. In the children with mathematical learning disabilities a relationship was found between metacognitive and procedural skills. No such relationship was found between intelligence and metacognition or between metacognition and mathematical fact retrieval skills. In addition it was investigated if children with mathematical learning disabilities had less adequate metacognitive skills than peers without learning problems. At group level significant differences were found between both groups. However on analyzing these results further, it was found that four out of five children with combined mathematical learning disabilities, half of the children with procedural disabilities and only 5% of the children with a retrieval deficiency had low metacognitive skills. Furthermore, metacognitive problems were found in one out of five children without learning disabilities. Moreover, a majority of the children with mathematical learning disabilities and inadequate metacognitive skills had problems with prediction and evaluation skills. Most third graders with low metacognitive skills only appeared to have problems predicting the level of difficulty of tasks. Inaccurate evaluations were found on a more regular basis in children with mathematical learning disabilities and inadequate metacognitive skills as opposed to the sample of children with inadequate metacognitive skills but without learning difficulties, where their occurrence was rather a one off. The implications of this study for diagnosis and treatment will be discussed later in this paper.     

元认知在英语听力教学中的应用研究

论述了元认知是关于思考的思考,其在学习过程中发挥着重要的作用,元认知能力的提高决定了学生学习能力的提高。并结合元认知和认知之间的关系及听力教学的特点,分析了元认知在英语听力教学策略当中的应用,认为培养学生元认知能力是提高学生学习能力的有效途径。     

浅析元认知和元认知策略下的英语自主学习

该文通过分析元认知、元认知策略、英语自主学习三者的定义和关系,以及在教学中对英语自主学习能力的培养方法,促使学生形成自主有效的学习管理思维模式,提高学习效率。     

Time and Performance in Online Learning: Applying the Theoretical Perspective of Metacognition

Educational psychologists have found that metacognitive calibration predicts learning outcomes in self‐regulated learning. In this research the authors apply theories of metacognition from educational psychology and postulate that metacognitive calibration influences learning time and performance in online learning. Data gathered from 230 college students who completed online self‐regulated assignments in an introductory information systems course confirms that higher calibration accuracy leads to better performance on assignments, which contributes to higher exam grades. In addition, higher calibration accuracy also reduces the amount of time students spent on the online assignments. However, time spent on the assignments is not a mediator of the effect of calibration on learning performance. This research presents pioneering work in examining a holistic model that assesses the impact of metacognition in online learning on both assignment and exam level learning outcomes using field data collected through a natural learning setting. The findings highlight the need to include metacognitive calibration as one of the learner characteristics in research models addressing student performance in online learning.     

Within and between person associations of calibration and achievement

Self-regulated learning (SRL), the ability to set goals and monitor and control progress toward these goals, is an important part of a positive mathematical disposition. Within SRL, accurate metacognitive monitoring is necessary to drive control processes. Students who display this accuracy are said to be calibrated, and although calibration is a growing area of research within Educational Psychology, unanswered questions remain about calibration's role as an aspect of metacognition, including the unique association between calibration and academic performance. In this study, calibration is characterized as part of a dynamic system that varies across tasks within the same person; variance in calibration is associated with variance in performance gain for the same student across tasks (quizzes within a year-long mathematics curriculum, ST Math). Both accurate determinations of certainty (Sensitivity) and uncertainty (Specificity) have unique small, yet statistically significant, associations with performance gains from pre to posttest in ST Math. For Specificity, there also remains a contextual association with performance at the Person level. Results are discussed in light of prior research on calibration and of theories of SRL; the data and analyses present a novel approach to studying calibration within a dynamic system and offer insights for future work.     

The Role of Self-Regulatory and Metacognitive Competence in the Motor Performance Difficulties of Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Theoretical and Empirical Review

Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) experience difficulty coping with everyday demands due to difficulties in performing motor tasks. Recently, a cognitive learning paradigm has been applied to studying the nature of the problems experienced by children with DCD, which assumes that these children have fewer cognitive and metacognitive skills with which to acquire motor skills. However, despite the emergence of such cognitive models, individual differences in children’s use of self-regulatory and metacognitive skill during motor learning have received little research attention. The aim of this review article was to examine the roots of this emerging field of research, locate it within the larger body of metacognitive and self-regulation literature, and examine some of the preliminary work that has been conducted on the role of self-regulation and metacognition in motor learning and in the motor performance difficulties of children with DCD.     

Exploring the potential impact of reciprocal peer tutoring on higher education students’ metacognitive knowledge and regulation

It is widely recognized that metacognition is an important mediator for successful and high-level learning, especially in higher education. Nevertheless, a majority of higher education students possess insufficient metacognitive knowledge and regulation skills to self-regulate their learning adequately. This study explores the potential of reciprocal peer tutoring to promote both university students’ metacognitive knowledge and their metacognitive regulation skills. The study was conducted in a naturalistic higher education setting, involving 67 students tutoring each other during a complete semester. A multi-method pretest–posttest design was used combining a self-report questionnaire, assessing students’ metacognitive knowledge and their perceived metacognitive skilfulness, with the analysis of think-aloud protocols, revealing students’ actual use of metacognitive strategies. Results indicate no significant pretest to posttest differences in students’ metacognitive knowledge, nor in their perception of metacognitive skill use. In contrast, significant changes are observed in students’ actual metacognitive regulation. At posttest, students demonstrate significantly more frequent and more varied use of metacognitive regulation, especially during the orientation, monitoring, and evaluation phases. Furthermore, our findings point to an increase in more profound and higher-quality strategy use at posttest.     

Fostering metacognitive awareness among teachers: Implications for the Nigerian school system

Abstract

This article focused on the concept of metacognition. Some theoretical models of metacognition were discussed to provide a general framework to understand the relationship between the different aspects or components of this phenomenon. The study also looked at five metacognitive strategies that enhance learning in schools, namely: (1) graphic organizers; (2) metacognitive scaffolding; (3) reciprocal teaching; (4) explicit instruction; and (5) collaborative learning. The work also briefly highlighted the problems of metacognitive strategies used in Nigerian schools. We noted that all learners do not engage spontaneously in metacognitive thinking unless they are explicitly encouraged to do so through carefully designed instructional activities. The study therefore recommended effective practice of scaffolded instruction on metacognitive strategies use in Nigerian schools and other countries in the world.     

浅谈专科非英语专业学生自主学习能力的培养

自主学习能力实质上是自我监控能力,其发展主要体现在元认知水平的提高。提高元认知水平的有效途径是元认知策略培养。为提高学生的自主学习能力,应把元认知策略训练纳入专科非英语专业的教学。     

The Development of Metacognition in Primary School Learning Environments

Constructivist ideas have influenced recent major innovations in Dutch secondary education and new curricula for reading and math in primary education, for example, pay much more attention to metacognition than before. In our study, we compared the growth of student metacognition in varying learning environments, direct instruction, and cognitive apprenticeship in primary school. The study also included a control group of teachers. In order to measure metacognition we developed a questionnaire, with separate parts for metacognitive skills and metacognitive knowledge. In the item selection procedure we made use of item response modeling. It was found that in the direct instruction and the cognitive apprenticeship group the pupils had higher scores on metacognitive skills and metacognitive knowledge compared to the control group pupils. No clear differences were found between direct instruction and cognitive apprenticeship. Interactions of learning environment and student intelligence were non-significant for both output measures.     

Metacognition in basic skills instruction

Metacognition is increasingly recognized as important to learning. This article describes self-regulatory processes that promote achievement in the basic skills of reading and mathematical problem solving. Self-regulatory behaviors in reading include clarifying one's purpose, understanding meanings, drawing inferences, looking for relationships, and reformulating text in one's own terms. Self-regulatory behaviors in mathematics include clarifying problem goals, understanding concepts, applying knowledge to reach goals, and monitoring progress toward a solution. The article then describes the author's experiences integrating metacognition with reading and mathematics instruction and highlights students' reactions to learning to think metacognitively.     

元认知听力理解策略培训研究

元认知策略是学习者的自我意识和自我调控,是计划、监控和评价,是适用于各种学习任务的一种学习策略。本研究提出将元认知策略培训与高职高专英语听力教学听力策略培训相结合的设想。该研究表明:基于元认知策略培训的高职高专英语听力教学有助于增强学生的元认知意识,有助于提高学生的听力成绩。     

Improving Design Understandings and Skills through Enhanced Metacognition: Reflective Design Journals

The main aim of this study was to investigate and discover whether going through the process of reflection by keeping reflective design journals (RDJ) enhances architecture students’ metacognition and whether this enhanced metacognition improves their design understandings and skills. The study was a mixed‐methods design and utilised content analysis method to identify the metacognitive actions of the participants. The study also investigated participants’ attitudes towards RDJs and their views regarding the effect of enhanced metacognition on their design understandings and skills. Twenty college students registered to an undergraduate course offered by the department of Architecture participated in the research. The findings of the study revealed that by writing in their RDJs, participants were able to progressively enhance their metacognitive skills and performed several metacognitive actions by using the four main metacognitive strategies: awareness, organisation and planning, monitoring, and evaluation. The results also disclosed that participants found RDJ keeping exceptionally effective and stated that their enhanced metacognition improved their design understanding and abilities.