Thinking about Thinking: Metacognition in the Classroom

Metacognition is defined as being aware of and understanding your own thought processes. It’s often referred to as “thinking about one’s thinking” or “learning about learning.” John Hattie’s meta-analysis of influences on student achievement shows that metacognitive strategies have an effect size of .69, making it one of the strongest influences in student achievement (.4 effect size = an average year of student academic growth). 

So, how exactly can we ensure that our students are practicing metacognitive strategies? We must teach them how to understand what’s happening in their minds. Below are a few ideas for creating a classroom that nurtures higher-level thinking, improves teacher clarity, and ultimately leads to greater academic success.

Using Metacognition to Move Beyond “I Don’t Know”

When a student responds to your question with “I don’t know,” how do you reply? I’m guilty of calling on a different student to get the correct answer or giving the “I don’t know” students multiple hints to elicit the appropriate response. But this stops a student’s thinking and learning instead of encouraging it. In my classroom, I banned the words “I don’t know,” with the only exception being if a student can say what they don’t know right after. 

It may take a while for your students’ responses to change, but if you continuously practice and remind them to dig deeper, metacognition will develop, and students will be more aware of what they need to be successful.

Teaching Students to Use Metacognition to Identify Gaps in Understanding

When you get the dreaded “I don’t know” response, try asking, “What exactly don’t you know?” Taking the time and challenging the student to pinpoint what they are not getting is the first step to metacognition. As teachers, we can analyze and determine what they don’t know, but it benefits students so much more if they can figure it out for themselves.

During an English language arts lesson, I once asked a student, “What is the opposite of happy?” When the student said, “I don’t know,” I challenged him to tell me what he didn’t know, but he gave me a different answer and shrugged. With guidance, we analyzed together why he couldn’t find the correct answer. I asked him if he understood the question, and he said “yes,” so I asked what it meant to be happy. He answered correctly with ease. When I probed on “opposite,” he was silent. Once we reviewed the definition of opposite, he could tell me the opposite of happy with zero hesitation.

When our students make errors, they often don’t understand the reason. We want our students to challenge themselves and discover what’s blocking their learning. Once they figure that out, they can more easily progress. If we don’t help them isolate what they don’t understand, they will continue to guess, say “I don’t know,” and need continuous support from an adult to be academically successful.

Down the line, students who challenge themselves to figure out what they don’t understand can think more critically, with more complexity, leading them to demonstrate more growth in academics.

Fostering Metacognition through Student Goal Setting

Metaphorically, students can try looking at school like a video game. Video games are fun because they provide the right amount of challenge. Nobody wants to play a video game that’s too easy—or so difficult it feels like there’s no chance of winning.

Try having students set goals for themselves to have more opportunities for success. Goals can be set within a block of the day, a full school day, a month, or even half a year. They can be related to academics, behavior, or anything that can influence positive academic growth. But the goal must be obtainable, and not too easy, or students won’t be motivated. If the goal is too hard, not reaching it could discourage effort. 

When students accomplish challenging goals, school becomes like a video game. They want to accomplish/play more! I use i-Ready Assessment three times a year to help set goals. I teach my students how to read/analyze their scores so they understand what they need to work on. Then, they create goals and track their progress before their next assessment.

The results are unmatched. Not only do students show an increase in motivation, but their results are tied to their specific goals. I had one student who progressed from a kindergarten to second grade level in just four months. He was still two grade levels below where he needed to be, but he was so proud because his goal was to reach a first grade level. Student goal setting helps drive metacognition by helping students understand where they are, where we want them to be, and how we’re going to get them there.

Metacognition Is the Key to Deeper Thinking and Academic Growth

The metacognitive strategies discussed above enrich our learners’ deeper thinking, drive motivation, and create a positive classroom culture—all of which lead to higher academic success. Once the foundation is built, students can utilize these metacognitive skills not only in academics but also in their everyday lives.

Want to learn more about metacognition? Tune in to Toby’s episode of the Extraordinary Educators™ Podcast.

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More Resources:
Why Productive Struggle Matters
Questioning for Deeper Mathematical Understanding
A Deeper Approach to Mathematics Adds Up to Big Results