Psychology of Learning and Teaching
Session 3
Metacognition and Learning
Dr Julie Smith
[email protected]
Lecture Outline
• Defining metacognition
• What is the evidence in relation to learning?
• Individual versus group metacognition
• The role of the teacher in supporting
metacognition & SRL
Defining metacognition
one of the truly unique
characteristics of
human memory: its
knowledge of its own
knowledge
(Tulving & Madigan 1970)
‘Meta’ cognition
Metacognition
▪ Thinking about thinking
▪ Knowledge of cognition and regulation of
cognition
▪ First used by Flavell (1979) when researching
memory abilities in children
I know that I have a
strategy for multiplying
large numbers and it
would be useful here
This problem asks me
to multiple two
large numbers
“…develop a
consciousness of oneself
as a subject and to look at
one’s point of view
objectively” Piaget
“The conscious use
of concepts implies
control of those
concepts”
Vygotsky
Metacognition
Knowledge of Cognition Regulation of Cognition
(metacognitive knowledge) (metacognitive skills)
How will this challenge me? Planning
What strategies can I use? Monitoring
Are these strategies appropriate Evaluating
here?
Alexa set
an alarm
for 3.15
Nelson & Narens 1990 Model
Meta-level Control
Monitoring Strategies to
Progress support
toward main learning e.g. re-
goal and sub- reading difficult
goals. text to ensure
Object- understanding.
level
Measuring Metacognition Offline
measures
Self-report questionnaires:
• Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (Schraw and Dennison 1994)
Judgements of Learning or Confidence of learning
Interviews
BUT
Generally poor predictors of performance (Veenman & Van Hout-
Wolters 2002)
Better at measuring metacognitive knowledge rather than
actual metacognitive use during activities (Greene and Azevedo
2010)
Measuring Metacognition Online
measures
Think Aloud protocols (Bannert & Megelkamp 2008)
Observations of concurrent behaviours (e.g. taking notes, drawing
mindmaps or plans, etc. e.g. Jacobse & Harskamp 2012)
Observation and coding of talk (e.g. Smith & Mancy 2018)
Eye movement tracking (e.g. Mudrick, Azevedo & Taub 2019)
BUT
No correlation between online and questionnaire methods
Metacognition and Learning
Research Focus for Learning
What is the
relationship • Development of metacognition
between • Different subject areas
metacognition • Domain specificity question
and learning?
• Metacognitive interventions
Can • Vicarious or conscious learning?
metacognition
• Teacher training in
be taught? metacognition
Research Findings
▪ Metacognitive knowledge and cognitive
regulation associated with higher levels of
mathematical achievement (e.g.Özsoy 2011, Schneider & Artlet
2010 , Morosanova, Gomina, Kovas, & Bogdanova, 2016)
▪ Numerical metacognitive knowledge at age 5
predicts levels of mathematical knowledge at
school (Vo, Li, Kornell, Pouget, & Cantlon, 2014)
Research Findings
▪ Metacognitive beliefs and monitoring associated
with mathematical problem solving performance in
primary school students (Cornoldi, Carretti, Drusi, &
Tencati 2015).
▪ Metacognitive ability predicts mathematical
achievement in high school (Veenman, Kok & Blote
2005, Van der Stel, Veenman, Deelen & Haenen
2010).
Research Findings
Wang and Sperling (2020)
133 Chinese students aged 12-13
3 conditions: control, confidence rating only. confidence
rating with monitoring instructions.
3 practice sessions (once a week over three weeks)
Pre-test/post test
Measurements:
M/C awareness
Monitoring accuracy
Confidence rating justifications
Research Findings
Wang and Sperling (2020)
Findings:
• Overall students were good at monitoring during maths
activities
• No significant difference in maths outcomes for monitoring
conditions
BUT
Regardless of condition, students with low confidence and
accuracy had poor overall mathematics performance, suggesting
monitoring is important for mathematics achievement.
Research Findings
▪ STEM education (e.g. Georghiades 2004, Zohar & David 2008, Michalsky et al
2009, etc.)
▪ Literacy (e.g. Larkin 2009)
▪ Writing (Hacker e.g. 2018)
▪ Reading (Griffin 2019)
Critical
Thinking
The influence of the problems
Easy problems or problems requiring a single
function do not elicit a metacognitive response:
100 + 50
70 x 50 Critical
Thinking
Reading an easy text excerpt will not require
metacognitive monitoring
Longer periods of metacognition during difficult as
compared to easy problems (Iskala et al 2011)
Individual versus Group Metacognition
Individual versus Group Metacognition
During group work, metacognitive and collaborative talk
cluster which suggests that students are engaging with one
another’s metacognitive input (Goos et al 2002)
Metacognitive regulation has been identified where group
members regulate the group problem solving process as
distinct from regulating their own problem solving
processes (Iiskala et al 2004, Iiskala et al 2011).
Individual versus Group Metacognition
“we propose that an essential
feature of learning is that it
creates the zone of proximal Vygotsky (1978)
Collaboration is the key to
development; that is learning learning through ZPD
awakens a variety of
developmental processes that
are able to operate only when
the child is interacting with
people in his (or her)
environment and in
collaboration with his (or her)
peers” (p90).
Individual versus Group Metacognition
Metacognitive talk
and collaborative talk
mutually mediating
(Smith & Mancy 2018)
Metacognition and Group Work
Metacognition is an important component in successful
mathematical problem solving (Stillman & Mevarech, 2010).
BUT
We cannot see learners using metacognition
Difficult to support them if they go wrong
Metacognition
Regulation of Cognition
Knowledge of Cognition
(metacognitive skills)
How will this challenge me? Planning
What strategies can I use? Monitoring
Are these strategies appropriate Evaluating
here?
Monitoring and metacognitive experiences
We’re doing
really well
with this
problem
Metacognitive Experiences
• Primary 5 pupils working in
groups of 4
• Scott knows he is good at Iain’s Fish Pond
maths – the best in his group Area = 36m2
• Mistakenly thinks the
perimeter is 36m so rope
should be 15 + 15 + 3 + 3
Scott’s internal metacognitive feedback was inaccurate
Metacognitive Experiences
The rest of the group were
not confident in their
mathematical and
monitoring told them that Iain’s Fish Pond
they didn’t understand Area = 36m2
Scott’s answer.
Their metacognitive
experiences triggered
control decisions to
question Scott’s answer.
Identifying metacognition
Cognition is involved in
doing, whereas
metacognition is
choosing and planning
what to do and
monitoring what has
been done.
Garofalo & Lester (1985, p164)
Benefits of collaboration
Outcome success
Group
(Artz & Armor-Thomas 1992)
Higher levels of
m/c &
Process success
collaboration skills
(Ing et al 2015)
Individual
Input to solution
(Hurme, Palonen & Jarvela 2006)
Self-regulated learning
Metacognition Behaviour Emotion Motivation
(Pintrich 2000, Schraw et al 2006, Zimmerman 1986)
Self-regulation
“SR is an active,
constructive process
whereby learners set goals
for their learning and then
attempt to monitor,
regulate, and control their
cognition, motivation, and
behaviour, guided and
constrained by their goals
and the contextual
features in the
environment” (Pintrich 2000 p.
453).
Importance of metacognition
Control
Strategies to
Monitoring Meta-level support
Progress learning e.g. re-
toward main reading difficult
goal and sub- text to ensure
goals. understanding.
Interference Response
suppression
Object- Inhibition
level Working
memory
Bryce et al 2015
Importance of metacognition
5-7 year olds Metacognition and EF relationship
Metacognition and Executive functions are
independent
The relationship changes with age
EFs are necessary for m/c development but not
for sustaining the use as we age
M/C related to learning across age groups
Even when EFs are poorer, metacognitive skills
can support learners to successfully regulate
their learning
Bryce et al 2015
Activity
Psychology of Learning and Teaching
Assignment One
Group presentation week of 10th March
• During allocated workshop time
• Recorded for the purpose of marking/external
examiner.
• Slides should be submitted no later than the
10th March at 12noon
• All group members must upload slides.
• This counts for 20% of your overall grade.
Students will work together
in small groups for the
presentation task and deliver
a 12 minute presentation
where they critically
analyse an academic article
related to the course.
Provide a brief description/overview of the research, aims and main findings You cannot
Was there an explicit theoretical framework? cover all of
What was the research setting and sample? Is the sample representative? these areas
What was the method? Was this method the most suitable for the research question or would you have done it
differently? Were the methods justified?
Is the design appropriate for answering the research questions or testing the hypothesis of the study?
Are the measures suitable for the population?
Were the measures reliable and validated? (e.g. have been validated in previous studies, have high Cronbach’s alpha)
Is the sampling approach suitable and feasible?
Are the inclusion/exclusion criteria for participants appropriate?
Were individual differences (e.g. age, gender, culture) considered?
Are the possible effects of uncontrolled variables on the results discussed?
What were the strengths and limitations of the study?
What did the researchers conclude? Were their conclusions accurate based on their findings?
What are the implications of the research?
Is the educational significance of the research discussed? What did you feel was the educational significance?
What might be the next step in this research field?
Your overall impression of paper and conclusion
Aim to support your argument with appropriate literature. You can draw on course reading or other research in the
area where (for example) the same/different methods have been used, or different outcomes have been reported.
Presentation
• Practise your parts separately and together
• Learn them
• Time them
• Practise facing the front.
• Do not read your part off a sheet of paper!
• When it is not your turn to present keep out of the
way of the speaker
• Don’t chat while waiting as it distracts the
audience
• Speak clearly and try not to rush. Use the
microphone
Content
• Describe first … and then critique; or you can have
some critique running through the presentation.
• Work out how you are sharing the sections of the
presentation.
• The visual aspect is also important. But do not
make slides and design too busy
Audience
• When you are not presenting you are the audience – as if
at a conference.
• Professional courtesy please do not
• Use your phone, laptop or tablet
• Speak with others when someone is presenting
• Audience can ask a question at the end so be prepared
What can you learn from previous
presentations?
• Make sure each student contributes to the whole
presentation (please contact me if you have any
concerns about this).
• The presentation should feel as though it is all
connected, even though different people are
presenting.
• Keep to the time limit – we will be using timers!
• Make sure you know the marking criteria.
