Introduction
Metacognition is defined as an individual’s ability to pay attention to their thought process and regulate it (Flavell, 1979). It relates to the learner’s goals and the development of his or her academic plans to improve his or her grades (Schraw & Dennison, 1994). This paper aims to discuss the advantages of metacognitive skills in three main areas of learning enhancement: promoting students’ independent learning, supporting underprivileged students, and facilitating the transfer of metacognition across curricular domains. This is because metacognition enables learners to locate ways towards successful learning, facilitates self-regulation, and assists in a better understanding of strengths and areas of weakness (Sword, 2021).
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Main Discussion
Fostering Independent Learning
Metacognition is a significant element in facilitating independent learning since it empowers the students to guide themselves in their learning process. According to Vygotsky's (1978) concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD), it is possible to build substantive evidence that metacognition enables independent learning. In this theory, the student is provided with tasks that are not easy to accomplish yet are still within his capability of achievement with proper regulation. Such processes as questioning, goal setting, and evaluating help students to close the gap between their existing and acquired knowledge with their potential capabilities. Thus, students develop the spirit of self-learning as they try to design their learning activities and evaluate their accomplishments themselves. Schraw and Moshman (1995) assert that planning, monitoring, and evaluating, all of which form metacognitive regulation make students responsible for learning. Such circumstances help in exercising critical thinking abilities and facilitating students in making effective decisions on their strategies in cases of action. For example, when students have specific goals in a course and self-monitoring their progress, they adapt their learning strategies to improve the outcomes. This incorporates self-directed learning, something associated with the social cognitive theory, particularly self-efficacy by Bandura (1986). If students are sure about the possibility of using metacognitive skills, this increases their motivation to learn, and they are ready to do more even if faced with some failure. Secondly, metacognitive learning promotes independent learning that is advantageous in areas other than education. Specifically, the ability to evaluate one’s learning approaches and adapt to new contexts will enable a person to cope with complex objectives in academia and vocational occupations. This factor is especially important today when people should be ready to upgrade their skills from time to time for their career progress. The examples of metacognitive strategies involve teaching students’ strategies of independent learning, which enables them to enhance their self-confidence, and perseverance in case of failure as well as learn how to proactively revise when faced with challenges in their learning.
Helps underprivileged students according to Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)
Metacognitive strategies are especially effective for low achievers due to limited resources, poor educational opportunities, and low expectancy. According to EEF metacognitive approaches, work can help disadvantaged learners because learners learn strategies that help them to self-regulate. This idea can be explained using the theoretical framework of cognitive development proposed by Piaget in 1952 since it has been advocated for the development of self-awareness and reflective thinking skills. By adopting metacognitive practices where students deliberate on their learning processes, the students are in a position to identify their strengths and weaknesses as they devise for themselves methods of improving their academic efficiencies. Existing studies have revealed that underprivileged students in particular fail to develop skills in self-regulation because there are no adequate orderly structures in their daily life. However, if they are trained in special cognitive skills like, goal setting, self-assessment skills, and evaluation skills then they can organize themselves in managing their learning. There are two components of metacognition; this constitutes knowledge about cognitive processes and the skill to control such a process. To the underprivileged students, this implies that they can master the ways to handle challenges in learning with ease, free from anxiety, and gain confidence to overcome difficult subject areas. In addition, according to Zimmerman’s (2002) self-regulated learning model, metacognition enables students to engage in planning, performing, and reflection cycles helpful specifically for those who have limited resources from an external source. This ability of a student to evaluate the understanding ability and change his or her learning approaches ensures that he or she is a more tenacious learner who will not be easily dissuaded whenever the initial approaches do not work. This is paramount for students arising from such backgrounds since it enables them in the driver’s seat insofar as their education is concerned. Furthermore, metacognitive awareness also affects the learning outcomes of underprivileged students in other areas. It is unaltered that through self-regulation skills, these students obtain problem-solving skills that expose them to real-life challenges. For example, a learner who can reflect on study strategies and behaviours can apply the same reflective learning in the same way to issues of career advancement, budgeting, and self-improvement. To motivate the children the educators should use metacognitive instruction as well as encourage the underprivileged students on how to think about their learning activities as well as setting them achievable learning goals. This way schools can help to make up for the deficit necessary for all students-ensuring equal education for all.
Students’ ability to use metacognitive skills across subjects taught in schools
A very important benefit of metacognition is that it can be used in any content area. The use of metacognition helps in the development of these solutions, which can be applied to different areas of study, thus improving the student’s performance. In connection with this, Bruner’s constructivist theory is characterized by absorbing rather than pacing concepts and encompasses aspects of metacognition that require the student to use knowledge and skills in practice. If students are made aware of how they learn, it will be much easier for them to apply the method they have used when solving a certain mathematics scientific or literary sentence or social study sentence. For instance, in mathematics, self-regulation involving self-reporting as well as evaluating errors will only enhance solving skills as learners correct their approaches. Summarizing and questioning are two aspects of metacognition that can reduce understanding difficulties when reading a text. Similarly, in science, learning and thinking that involves weighing one’s hypothesis against the outcomes strengthens critical thinking in a student. The cross-subject metacognitive transition differentiates learners, making them approach any academic difficulty with ease, because students would have access to different strategies from other areas of learning. According to Dewey (1933), the concept of learning reflected thinking also substantiates the notion that metacognition has an impact on learning across the curriculum. Structural learning comes into play when students engage in reflective thinking since this makes them observe how they think concerning a certain subject. Such a technique provides options to let the student practice different study methods and then make the best ways for that subject. In this way, they gain an enhanced understanding of the material and increase their capacity to grasp as well as apply accumulated knowledge. In addition, the study conducted by Winne and Hadwin (1998) established that the use of metacognitive strategies fosters self-regulated learning which is vital for success in different subjects. As these three points have never been taught in school, students can set goals and objectives and then follow them to work effectively on their study projects and get the best results in various subjects. This kind of generalization of metacognitive skills also promotes interdisciplinary learning where the student can apply knowledge from various learning areas in their quest for answers. However, it is also important to explain the application of metacognition in the cross-section with other disciplines related to standardized testing and assessment preparation. Time management, self-regulation, and reflection of existing knowledge, strategies used in making changes to the learning processes result in better performance in examinations and classes. There are three ways that educators can ensure that students practice and acquire transferable skills; by implementing the metacognitive activities into the different areas of learning, by student self-reflection, and by self-assessments.
Literature Review
Metacognition has been widely considered in the educational literature as a key element of students’ learning process. Various authors argue that it can help in the promotion of independent learning, helping students with fewer privileges, as well as promoting transfer of learning from one subject to another. The opinions present by the authors make it easy for a reader to understand how metacognition skills help with performance as well as self-regulation with the aim of achieving success in the future.
Schraw and Moshman (1995) suggest that metacognition is a crucial factor that contributes towards gaining independence of learners during the learning process due to its roles in strategic planning, monitoring, and evaluation. The authors also argue that self-regulated learners with metacognitive experiences become more independent in learning and are in a position to handle all learning difficulties without being told what to do next. Worthy of note is the claim made by Zimmerman (2002) on averment that independent learning is enhanced by other forms of self-regulation cycles which comprise setting goals, monitoring progress, as well as, self-reflection. These scholars thought that metacognitive strategies empower the learners to be on their own by being able to manage their learning. Furthermore, Bandura (1986) has associated independence in learning with self-efficacy pointing out that when students have a positive belief in their abilities to apply metacognition well, they student is motivated to continue with learning.
Metacognition is particularly effective for underprivileged learners because these skills equip learners with the necessary means of overcoming various academic adversities. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) described that teaching learner’s metacognition can help learners from disadvantaged backgrounds because it provides accountability and strategy for closing the academic gaps. Metacognitively, according to Flavell (1979) argued that metacognition entails the capacity to identify strengths and weaknesses, this makes it easy for students to choose suitable strategies based on their knowledge. Piaget's (1952) cognitive development theory also supports the concept of metacognition to enable underprivileged students to be aware and elastic. Winne and Hadwin (1998) have elaborated more on this view by pointing out that learners who understand how to monitor and control their learning through the use of metacognition develop more confidence in their learning hence enhancing their ability to confront learning obstacles. Altogether these authors affirm that metacognitive instruction helps facilitate learning, and can be especially beneficial for the disadvantaged learner as it allows for independent learning and critical thinking.
Another advantage of metacognition is that it can be used in any subject. Bruner, M. S. (1966) researched that metacognition enhances the effectiveness of learning because it enables the student to apply specific learning strategies across disciplines, hence making them more adaptive students. Based on Dewey’s definition of reflection described in 1933.defineProperty, it suffices to say that metacognition or, in other words, thinking about one’s learning process helps students assess the way they learn and approach problems in different classes. This ability is most useful in learning situations where one is supposed to combine knowledge in one field with that in another in solving a problem. Winne and Hadwin (1998) elaborate, that learning regulation is not confined to a single subject rather metacognition enables students to construct organized routines for studying that bring about improved performance. Schraw and Dennison (1994) also concur with this view as they affirmed that students’ metacognitive knowledge enables them to learn in a manner that is in sync with different environments, hence increasing their achievement.
Hence, in general, authors suggest that meta-cognition promotes independence, is beneficial to disadvantaged students or children, and has a positive impact on the teaching and learning of all curriculum areas. The incorporation of metacognition skills into learning thus enables students to acquire effective learning skills that will enhance their academic performance as well as increase employability.
Conclusion
The findings of the study reveal that metacognitive skills play a valued role in the student learning process, as it relates to promoting independent learning, assisting underprivileged students, as well as transfer learning strategies across the subject. Metacognition assists students to be autonomous in their learning endeavours through planning, assessment, and regulation of their learning process; therefore, boosts the learners’ performance. Triarchic, Vygotsky, Zone of Proximal Development, and Self-Efficacy Theory by Bandura, all support self-regulated learning for independence and motivation.
Thus, metacognition works as an enabling strategy for underprivileged students by enabling them to develop skills that can help them to fight certain obstacles in academic context due to their awareness of the self. According to the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), the concept of Metacognition is one of the teaching approaches that can be used to support the education of disadvantaged learners on how to solve common problems hence; narrowing the performance gaps as supported by Flavell and Winne. Moreover, the transfer of metacognitive skills across disciplines helps students’ accommodative learning environments as postured by Bruner and Dewey.
In general, metacognitive skills help in achieving long term academic goals through encouraging mechanical learning, enhancing one’s problem-solving skills, and guaranteeing versatility across the curriculum. It can therefore be said that through the use of MI in education, a student rises to the occasion to be more independent and self-reliant in their learning processes throughout their lifetime.
References
- Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Prentice-Hall.
- Bruner, J. S. (1966). Toward a theory of instruction. Harvard University Press.
- Dewey, J. (1933). How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. D.C. Heath and Company.
- Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). (2018). Metacognition and self-regulated learning: Guidance report. Education Endowment Foundation.
- Flavell, J. H. (1979). Metacognition and cognitive monitoring: A new area of cognitive-developmental inquiry. American Psychologist, 34(10), 906-911.
- Piaget, J. (1952). The origins of intelligence in children. W.W. Norton & Company.
- Schraw, G., & Dennison, R. S. (1994). Assessing metacognitive awareness. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 19(4), 460-475.
- Schraw, G., & Moshman, D. (1995). Metacognitive theories. Educational Psychology Review, 7(4), 351-371.
- Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
- Winne, P. H., & Hadwin, A. F. (1998). Studying as self-regulated learning. Metacognition in educational theory and practice, 93, 27-30.
- Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: An overview. Theory into Practice, 41(2), 64-70.
