Definitions of Metacognition
“Knowledge about cognition and control of cognition” - John Flavell, American psychologist
"Cognition about cognition", "thinking about thinking", or "knowing about knowing" and higher order thinking skills - Wikipedia
“We can observe our being” or “thinking about our thinking patterns” - Dr Joe Dispenza, researcher, lecturer, chiropractor
Importance of Metacognition
When students have knowledge and control of their own thought processes, learning is enhanced. This applies to all learning domains, be it writing, reading, science, mathematics or any activity that requires thinking.
According to several researchers, “metacognitive practices increase students’ abilities to transfer or adapt their learning to new contexts and tasks.” (Chick, 2017). Metacognitive skill is not only a critical ingredient to successful learning, but is vital in today’s competitive workforce. Employers are not looking for individuals who can simply retain facts and figures, as the data itself can be easily found on the internet. They are searching for candidates who can hit the ground running from day one, knowing what to do with the plethora of information on hand. In order to maintain its competitive advantage in this global economy, organizations require candidates who are able to process and interpret the data, apply the knowledge acquired in one context to another including culture, and make executive decisions that may affect the lives of many people, from employees, to customers, to the communities they work and live in.
According to a recent survey conducted by Harvard Business School, the findings indicated that higher metacognition leads to successful collaboration, builds trust and fosters rapport that enables idea sharing and innovation. (Morris, 2012). However, most college graduates lack the essential skills which employers are looking for. According to a recent survey, 60% of managers feel that college graduates do not have critical thinking/problem solving skill. (Dishman, 2016).
Effects and Implications on Learning
The best gift my parents gave to me was choice even at an early age while most parents were protective over their kids in the early 80s. I could have continued the rote learning approach by studying in Singapore. However, I took a huge leap and ventured into the rust belt of the United States in the early 80s. While America was known as a melting pot of culture, it certainly wasn’t the case in Bloomington, Indiana 30 years ago.
From day one in class and on campus, I had to learn to evaluate and make choices in an unfamiliar learning environment. Some of the decisions I made worked while some fell flat on my face. For the times I failed, I had to pull myself out of the deep hole as I didn’t want to disappoint my parents. When I was stuck with a problem, I talked through it on my own quite a bit initially. Also at the start, it was hard for me to move away from my rote learning habits. Over time, I learnt to adapt to situations.
By taking ownership of where I wanted to learn, what I wanted to learn, and how I wanted to learn at an early age, it equipped me with the skills that enabled me to cope with the challenges of everyday life up to this date. Therefore, I am believer in giving learners’ freedom of choice in order to promote active learning. However, I feel that there are some subjects where rote learning may be more suitable than metacognitive strategies. Perhaps some of you may have a different perspective. I would love to hear your point of view about this.
“He who learns but does not think, is lost” – Confucius
References:
Baker, L. (2009, December 23). Metacognition. Retrieved from Education.com:
http://www.education.com/reference/article/metacognition/
Chick, N. (2017, January 17). Metacognition. Retrieved from Vandebilt University - Centre for
Teaching:https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/metacognition/
Dishman, L. (2016, May 17). These are the Biggest Skills which New Graduates Lack. Retrieved
from FastCompany: https://www.fastcompany.com/3059940/the-future-of-work/these-are-
the-biggest-skills-that-new-graduates-lack Morris, M. (2012, October 17). Metacognition: The Skill Every Global Leader Needs. Retrieved
from Harvard Business Review:https://hbr.org/2012/10/collaborating-across-cultures