Metacognition, self-regulation & meta-knowing

Since its original conception in the early 1970s by John Flavell and Ann Brown, the area of ‘metacognition’ (i.e. the processes whereby individuals become increasingly aware of and able to control their own cognitive processes) has developed into a highly significant field of research, which has major implications for education at all levels and across the entire span of the curriculum. This significance arises from two well-established findings within the now considerable research literature. First, that a learner’s metacognitive skilfulness makes a contribution to their effectiveness as a learner independent of traditionally measured intelligence (Veenman & Spaans, 2005). Indeed, some researchers have claimed that its makes the major contribution to learning (Wang, Haertel, & Walberg, 1990); certainly, metacognitive deficits have been found to be a key problem for many children with learning difficulties (Sugden, 1989). Second, that metacognitive and ‘self-regulatory’ abilities are highly teachable, as indicated by a wide range of intervention studies with all age groups (Hattie, Biggs, & Purdie, 1996; Swanson, Hoskyn, & Lee, 1999; Dignath, Buettner, & Langfeldt, 2008).