Fostering Metacognition to Support Student Learning and Performance

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Learning Sciences

Background:

• Metacognition, the awareness and control of one's thinking, is crucial for effective learning.
• Many students face challenges in actively engaging with metacognitive processes.
• Developing metacognitive skills significantly impacts student learning outcomes and academic performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize research on the critical role of metacognition in student learning.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for faculty to foster metacognition in students.
• To highlight instructional strategies that enhance metacognitive skill development.

Main Methods:

• Review of key research papers on metacognition and learning.
• Synthesis of findings into actionable instructional recommendations.
• Development of an evidence-based teaching guide for faculty.

Main Results:

• Identified three key areas for fostering metacognition: learning strategies, monitoring learning, and social metacognition.
• Distilled research insights into general and specific instructional recommendations.
• Provided four practical recommendations implementable in any course.

Conclusions:

• Targeting metacognition is essential for improving student learning and academic performance.
• Faculty play a vital role in cultivating students' metacognitive abilities.
• Further research and instructional focus on metacognition are encouraged.