Metacognitive

Metacognition is the process of "thinking about thinking", or the ability to understand and control one's own thought processes. It is a key aspect of human cognition and has been the subject of much research in psychology and education.

Definition

Metacognition is defined as "cognition about cognition", or "knowing about knowing". It comes from the root word "meta", meaning beyond. It can take many forms; it includes knowledge about when and how to use particular strategies for learning or for problem solving. There are generally two components of metacognition: knowledge about cognition, and regulation of cognition.

Components

Metacognitive Knowledge

Metacognitive knowledge is about one's own cognitive processes and the understanding of how to regulate those processes to maximize learning. This includes knowledge about oneself as a learner and the factors that might impact performance, the nature of the task at hand, and the strategies that are most useful in solving a problem.

Metacognitive Regulation

Metacognitive regulation is the regulation of one's own cognition to maximize one's potential to think and learn. These processes include planning how to approach a given learning task, monitoring comprehension, and evaluating progress toward the completion of a task.

Importance

Metacognition is a critical component of successful learning. It involves self-reflection and self-awareness and the ability to make decisions based on these factors. Research has indicated that metacognition is linked to higher levels of academic performance.

See Also

• Cognition
• Cognitive psychology
• Educational psychology
• Learning theory (education)