WHAT IS METACOGNITION & WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Metacognition is often defined as “thinking about thinking.” It is a higher order cognitive procedure involving active control over the processes engaged in learning (Livingston, 1997; VonWright, 1992). It includes planning how to approach a task, monitoring comprehension, and evaluating progress toward a goal. It also includes knowing how your mind works which means a student must have some understanding of attention, memory, language, social cognition, spatial and sequential ordering, motor skills, and higher order cognition (Levine, 2002). Finally, and most importantly, metacognition involves monitoring and controlling one’s emotions, such as anxiety and motivation, as well as understanding one’s intentions and motives. Metacognition is the internal dialogue or private speech that allows students to regulate their thinking and emotions. It is the key to helping students become self-aware, self-regulated, strategic learners. To take this to a practical level, imagine the following sc
