#38 Metacognition-The Missing Link

Hi Everyone

With the complete list having now been released for the contributors to this year's World Education Summit, people have started commenting on the topic of my presentation, (already recorded as part of the 'Spotlight On' category) which is; Metacognition - The Missing Link.

I would like to share a thought or two with you on that topic now, because I know that you share my desire to improve the educational and life chances of children and young people

Why do I so confidently talk about metacognition as 'the' missing link. Because I have seen firsthand, over and over again, the impact that developing metacognition has for learners who previously experienced a whole range of difficulties. They start to rise above everyone's expectations, (including their own), drawing comments from parents and teachers who can't believe the difference. "I didn't know he/she was capable of that" was a common response.

Not once however, despite years of using my Learner Success Pathway with students, did I use the word 'metacognition' or the term 'thinking about thinking'. Neither are necessary if what you're after is real transformation for learning, and not just an academic exercise that has little impact.

Think about what you want most for learners! Here's a list of potential positive experiences to get you started; a sense of belonging, good mental health, academic progress, successful transitions, effective study skills, confident exam preparation, a sense of achievement, higher aspirations, or learning independently! Which of those are uppermost for you when considering the kind of progress you want to see in the learner(s) you have in mind as you read this?

Depending on your role, (parent/carer, school leader, teacher, or support staff) and the particular student(s) you care about, your wishes for them may differ, but in my experience, mastery in all those areas requires the same skill. The real gamechanger in every situation, is for a learner to start thinking in a more metacognitive way.

Is it really that powerful? Isn't metacognition just a long word dreamed up by a specialist in children's cognitive development (attributed to John Flavell in his 1976 paper; Metacognitive Aspects of Problem Solving), to describe what goes on inside a learner's head, when you want to comment on how they're 'learning' rather than just talking about the curriculum content that they are expected to know? Well, yes and no. The word itself is derived from 'meta' (to go beyond, rise above or transcend) and 'cognition' (all the skills required to gain knowledge, understand it and use it).

So yes, we need a word to describe that higher order thinking, but in the wider context, more recent research shows that it's an essential part of the decision making processes in the pre-frontal cortex (or reasoning part) of the brain. Simply put; ‘Metacognition is the process of considering the outcome of a decision and whether a decision should be adjusted’ (Qui L, Su J, Ni Y, Bai Y, Zhang X, Li X et al (2018) The neural system of metacognition accompanying decision making in the pre-frontal cortex, PLoS 16(4)).

The solution really lies inside the learner who fully understands that they can rummage around inside their own heads, take ownership of what thoughts they find dominating there, decide whether those thoughts are actually a useful way of solving whatever issue they face, and feeling comfortable with changing their minds if necessary! The scary thing is that the majority of students in school do not have this ability and are automatically limited in what they can achieve as a consequence.

Metacognition is not something you can teach, it's not something you can hand over to a learner who needs it, it's not an approach you can just introduce into a classroom and leave students to get on with. The ability to think in a different way needs consciously developing within students over time, step by step, to the point where learners starts to use it unconsciously to improve their own learning. We are talking about a process that takes place inside a student's head.

The good news is that it's really not that difficult. Next week I'll be following up the free webinar from this week with a paid workshop for Teachers. I would love for you to join me. Please take the time to find out how you can make a real difference and click on the link below. (Note date; Tues 7th March, 2.00pm (GMT)

Keep an eye out for future events, including a special free session coming soon; The Art of Changing Your Mind! (Metacognition in practice for adults!)

Warm regards

Liz