MetacognitionMetacognition

Garfield Math CoachesGarfield Math Coaches

September 2007September 2007

What is metacognition?What is metacognition?

• Popular definition: “Thinking about Popular definition: “Thinking about thinking”thinking”

• Dr. Michael E. Martinez, Associate Dr. Michael E. Martinez, Associate Professor, Department of Education, Professor, Department of Education, UC Irvine: “Metacognition is the UC Irvine: “Metacognition is the monitoring and control of thought” monitoring and control of thought”

What is required to achieve What is required to achieve metacognition?metacognition?

• Knowledge base (Declarative, Knowledge base (Declarative, Procedural, Conditional)Procedural, Conditional)

• ““What we already know determines to What we already know determines to a great extent what we will pay a great extent what we will pay attention to, perceive, learn, attention to, perceive, learn, remember, and forget.”remember, and forget.”

• Organization (Helps improve memory)Organization (Helps improve memory)• Automaticity (“aids and is essential to Automaticity (“aids and is essential to

higher-order thought”)higher-order thought”)

WhyWhy is is automaticityautomaticity essential?essential?

• Higher-order and lower-order thought Higher-order and lower-order thought work together rather than compete work together rather than compete because of the limited capacity of…because of the limited capacity of…working memoryworking memory

• For example, automated reading and For example, automated reading and note-taking skills reduce burden on note-taking skills reduce burden on working memoryworking memory

What are the three What are the three metacognitive skills?metacognitive skills?

• Planning/Organizing: deciding how much Planning/Organizing: deciding how much time to spend on a task, how to start, time to spend on a task, how to start, which strategies to use (Organization which strategies to use (Organization improves memory)improves memory)

• Monitoring: awareness of “how am I Monitoring: awareness of “how am I doing?”doing?”

• Evaluation: making judgments about Evaluation: making judgments about processes and outcomes of thinking and processes and outcomes of thinking and learning and acting on those judgments learning and acting on those judgments

How do we help students plan, How do we help students plan, organize, monitor, and organize, monitor, and evaluate their learning and evaluate their learning and thinking processes?thinking processes?

• Research proposes: Academic Self-Research proposes: Academic Self-RegulationRegulation

• Also known as “Self-Regulation”Also known as “Self-Regulation”

What is Academic Self-What is Academic Self-Regulation?Regulation?

• ““process by which students activate and process by which students activate and sustain cognitions, behaviors, and sustain cognitions, behaviors, and affects that are systematically oriented affects that are systematically oriented toward the attainment of academic toward the attainment of academic goals.”goals.”

• the degree to which “individuals are the degree to which “individuals are metacognitively, motivationally, and metacognitively, motivationally, and behaviorally active participants in their behaviorally active participants in their own learning process.” (Zimmerman)own learning process.” (Zimmerman)

What are examples of Self-What are examples of Self-Regulation?Regulation?

• While listening: Does this make sense? Am I While listening: Does this make sense? Am I getting this? Am I paying attention?getting this? Am I paying attention?

• While planning: Do I have everything While planning: Do I have everything together? Am I organized? What order will I do together? Am I organized? What order will I do this?this?

• While working: Am I working fast enough? How While working: Am I working fast enough? How much time is left? Do I need to stop and start much time is left? Do I need to stop and start over?over?

• While checking: Did I finish everything? Did I While checking: Did I finish everything? Did I check my answers? Do my answers make check my answers? Do my answers make sense?sense?

Why Teach Self-Regulation?Why Teach Self-Regulation?

• ““Research has provided compelling Research has provided compelling evidence that a strong link exists evidence that a strong link exists between students’ academic self-between students’ academic self-regulation…and their academic regulation…and their academic achievement”achievement”

• When students with LD “receive When students with LD “receive instruction in the use of self-regulatory instruction in the use of self-regulatory methods, they achieve success in methods, they achieve success in academic settings”academic settings”

What are the self-regulation What are the self-regulation methods or strategies that methods or strategies that students need to be aware of?students need to be aware of?• Setting educational goalsSetting educational goals• Being aware of weaknessesBeing aware of weaknesses• Practice, note taking, spelling aids, tape recorders, Practice, note taking, spelling aids, tape recorders,

calendars, organizing study timecalendars, organizing study time• Organizing and transforming informationOrganizing and transforming information• Keeping records (e.g., a list of misspelled words)Keeping records (e.g., a list of misspelled words)• Self-consequating (rewarding oneself for good Self-consequating (rewarding oneself for good

work)work)• Seeking information (textbooks, libraries, Internet)Seeking information (textbooks, libraries, Internet)• Seeking social assistance (e.g., peers, teachers)Seeking social assistance (e.g., peers, teachers)• Rehearsing and using memory aidsRehearsing and using memory aids

Effects of Metacognitive Effects of Metacognitive Training Embedded in Training Embedded in Cooperative Settings on Cooperative Settings on Mathematical Problem SolvingMathematical Problem Solving• Seventh grade students were randomly Seventh grade students were randomly

assigned to one of three cooperative assigned to one of three cooperative learning groups: metacognitive, learning groups: metacognitive, strategic, and control-groupstrategic, and control-group

• All students received direct instruction All students received direct instruction before proceeding to work in groupsbefore proceeding to work in groups

• Students with metacognitive training Students with metacognitive training outperformed the other groupsoutperformed the other groups

In the metacognitive group, In the metacognitive group, students were first asked to students were first asked to answer three types of answer three types of questions:questions:• Comprehension (What is given in the Comprehension (What is given in the

problem?)problem?)

• Comparison (How is this problem Comparison (How is this problem similar/different from the other similar/different from the other problems?)problems?)

• Strategy (What strategies are Strategy (What strategies are appropriate for solving this problem?)appropriate for solving this problem?)