Metacognition
Revised 2024
Metacognition includes knowledge, awareness, and control of one’s own cognition and human cognition in general. A large part of metacognition is actively monitoring one’s own learning and making changes to one’s own learning behaviors and strategies based on this monitoring.
Students that build and use their cognitive assets become metacognitive and can take charge of their own learning. This module focuses on what is involved when teaching students to be metacognitive, which includes the following concepts.
- Building knowledge about cognition
- Improving the ability to take charge of one’s own brainpower
- Understanding how, why, and when to use cognitive assets
- Assessing the use of learning strategies
- Monitoring progress and considering ways learning can be improved
This Professional Learning Module contains three parts. Part 1 is the Introduction to Metacognition and Increasing Cognitive Awareness. Part 2 is Regulation of Cognition and Part 3 is Creating a Metacognitive Classroom Climate and Environment. Each of the three parts aligns with the Metacognition Practice Profile.
Learning Objectives
In this module, educators will learn to accomplish the following objectives.
- Engage in metacognitive instruction to increase students’ knowledge of cognition
- Engage students in metacognitive regulation processes for planning, monitoring, controlling, and evaluating
- Create a classroom culture and environment conducive to developing, encouraging, and supporting metacognitive thinking
Pre-Post Knowledge Check
Pre and post-knowledge checks are a component of high-quality professional development. It is recommended that all consultants and other trainers/facilitators use them as they tailor their professional development for their audience. The pre-post knowledge check and the answer key are posted below for downloading and administering.
Presenter Materials
Powerpoint with Presenter Notes
Implementation Supports
Additional Resources
