Why Metacognition?

On a personal level, I credit metacognitive development as being significant in my success academically and professionally, enabling me to surpass trajectories.  For me, the early development of metacognition was accidental - I didn't know at the time that the conversations I had around my academic performance with my father were metacognitive, or that the actions I started to take to improve my grades were metacognitive.  The good news is that metacognitive skills can be honed and developed at any age and can be strategically targeted rather than left to chance!

 

Metacognition and Disadvantaged Pupils

The pupils who are perhaps most in need of developing metacognitive skills, particularly so that they can break through academically, are disadvantaged pupils.  These pupils can be mystified about why their peers are more successful; we can make the goal of being an effective learner tangible and concrete. The EEF rates metacognition as the highest impact strategy for closing the attainment gap, reporting that pupils can make 7+ months of progress and whilst this is impressive, what is even more impressive is the life long impact developing metacognition can have on this pupil group.

 

Metacognition and Higher Attaining Pupils

The beauty of teaching and developing metacognition with all pupils is that is a 'rising tide that lifts all ships'.  Everyone benefits, whilst at the same time it creates accelerated progress for those who need it most!  There is extensive, long-standing research on the benefits of metacognition.

 

If metacognition is such a good strategy, why isn't everyone capitalising on the benefits?

We have a tendency to be a sector focused on easy to measure, quick to implement developments that are linked to accountability, and often work in direct lines rather than holistically.  This can leave high leverage solutions out in the cold - impact left untapped.  Implementing metacognition is not a bolt on or a series of lessons, it pervades practice, it is an ethos and a way of operating, it is threaded into the DNA of teaching.  This also means that every new person joining needs to be inducted into how metacognition works in your school.  It becomes part and parcel of who you are as a school identity with a shared understanding - from leadership to TAs.

 

What can I do to benefit from metacognition?

First, build your knowledge of what metacognition is, how it can be applied in school and break metacognition into a number of modules allowing you to tackle implementation chunk by chunk.  To help you achieve this, you can attend a face-to-face training day and tap into auditing and implementation resources, giving you a good base from which to start. 

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You can also create bespoke packages of long-term support for creating and realising a seismic shift in school practices.

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