Metacognition sounds really complex, but it really just means 'thinking about and managing your own thinking.' You might think it sounds difficult to do, but it's something you're probably already used to doing without realising!
We've asked developmental psychologist Dr Heather Branigan to explain what metacognition is and how you can use it to help you with your studies. Listen to what she says in the video below, or read our highlights if you're short on time.
Melody: Hi, I'm Melody, and sometimes I wonder if the study techniques I'm using are actually making a difference. So today I'm going to be speaking to Heather, an expert who can help me find out what works best for me and what doesn't. Hey Heather.
Heather: Hi Melody, I hear you'd like some help with your study strategies.
Melody: Yep. Well, I try my best but I never really know how I'm getting on till I get my test results. I was wondering if there was a way of me keeping on track.
Heather: Yeah, so it sounds like metacognition might be something that will help with your studies. This might seem like quite a complex term, but really it just means thinking about and managing your thinking. So for instance, it’s having awareness of yourself such as, knowing that you study better in the afternoons, once you’ve fully woken up. An important thing about metacognition is, it's something that we can develop and being more aware of our own thinking can really help us be more efficient when it comes to directing our studies.
Melody: But how do I actually put metacognition into practice?
Heather: So the most important thing to start to develop your metacognition, is to try and make that thinking process more explicit, so you're more aware of it. One is just to try and constantly ask yourself questions. So when you're doing a task, think: Have I done this task before or anything similar? What sorts of strategies might I be able to use? What might be most tricky about the task that I'm doing just now? You can also reflect on this later. A good way of reflecting on that later, is through writing. So for instance, writing a journal. So you might be able to set yourself and answer some questions at the end of your learning such as: What worked well? And what might I want to work on next time? What's my main goal going forward? Once you're developing your skills, you can start to ask deeper questions. For example, you might reflect on: What are the different ways that I've been taught to plan my English essays? And what works best for me? But of course, remember that metacognition is something that we can develop through interacting with others as well. So if you are feeling really stuck in your learning, it's always a good idea to get help from a teacher.
Melody: Thank you so much, this is really useful.
Heather: Thank you, good luck.
What is metacognition?
There are two main parts of metacognition – knowledge and regulation.
Metacognitive knowledge is the knowledge we have about our strengths and weaknesses, as well as tasks and strategies whilst we learn and study. This includes knowledge such as “I focus better in the afternoon once I have fully woken up” or “in this maths task I will need to memorise equations”.
Metacognitive regulation is the term for the strategies and tools we use to manage our thinking. You're engaging with metacognitive regulation when you plan an essay, or notice that you have not understood something you are reading in a textbook and so decide to take notes or test yourself.
Using metacognitive knowledge and regulation is a good way to boost your learning, and the great thing about metacognition is that the more aware we are of our own thinking, including our strengths and areas to work on, the more efficient we can be with how we focus our attention and develop skills. The more we practice metacognition, the more strategies we have available to us when we come across new tasks – it's like building a collection of tools in a toolbox.
Here's a task to help you practice metacognition… spend a moment thinking of the ’sticking point’ from a task or lesson. Pick one thing that is difficult or confusing and then think about what you can do to help make it more manageable – maybe by breaking it down into smaller chunks, or trying a different strategy?
The main thing that can help boost metacognition is to notice when you're thinking about your thinking. This might be noticing when you don't understand something, noticing when something relates to a similar task you have done before, or when you reflect on something you might do differently next time. Doing this can help you identify when you need to ask a teacher for help.
So now you've mastered a couple of effective study techniques to help with your schoolwork, you can combine these with other techniques from the pages below to help you on your way to becoming a study-superstar!
If you need support
You should always tell someone about the things you’re worried about. You can tell a friend, parent, guardian, teacher, or another trusted adult. If you're struggling with your mental health, going to your GP can be a good place to start to find help. Your GP can let you know what support is available to you, suggest different types of treatment and offer regular check-ups to see how you’re doing.
If you’re in need of in-the-moment support you can contact Childline, where you can speak to a counsellor. Their lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There are more links to helpful organisations on BBC Action Line.
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