THE ROLE OF METACOGNITION IN LEARNING & STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING STUDENT METACOGNITION

Broadly speaking, metacognition is thinking about thinking. From the philosophical to the applied, metacognition has been the subject of intellectual pursuit since at least the time of Aristotle. More recently, research has explored the connection between metacognition and learning. Thinking about one’s own thinking is specifically related to the question of how does one know what he knows. This kind of self-awareness is important for successful learning; however, few students are taught about the role of metacognition in their own learning. Major research findings from the literature dealing with self-awareness, self-monitoring, and learning will be reviewed. In addition, practical examples for actively incorporating metacognition into geology and astronomy course curriculum will be discussed and specific strategies that instructors can use to facilitate the metacognitive development of their students will be highlighted.